By Audrey Seymour

In this interview, I sat down with Kaily, a 9th-grade student, to learn about her experience with Project Scientist. Kaily shares how she was introduced to the program by a close friend and how it has not only expanded her understanding of STEM careers but also helped her build valuable connections and skills. From discovering new fields like nature reserves and cosmetology to strengthening her leadership abilities and public speaking, Kaily's journey through the Scholars Program has been impactful. She opens up about the friendships she's made, the challenges she faces balancing extracurriculars, and the impact the program has had on her confidence, both in STEM and in life. 

Can you tell us your name, pronouns, what grade you are in?

My name is Kaily, I use she/her pronouns. I am in 9th grade.

What inspired you to join Project Scientist?

One of my best friends actually reached out to me and was like “Hey, my parents are signing me up for this program, and it seems like something you'd enjoy.” And so I signed up. I applied, and then I got in, and then I’m here.

Have you discovered new STEM topics or careers through Project Scientist? If so, which ones?

Definitely. Well, actually, it's more like just broadened my understanding of certain careers…like nature reserve or cosmetology. We had a whole thing on that, and I was like oh, I didn't know this was part of STEM. 

What has been the most exciting or memorable part of your experience?

Definitely friends. I've made a couple of friends aside from, you know, the ones who live in [my home town]. I live in a decently small town of 20,000 people. I don't know if you know anything about Selah, but they are probably one of the sweetest people ever, and we just talk after every session, and we just got super close, we have like mutual interests, and Cali I would consider a pretty good friend. She's also really sweet.

How has the Scholars program helped you feel more confident in other areas of your life?

I think I joined scholars at the perfect time, like in my science base and everything, because everything we cover in Scholars, I end up learning. Like stuff we learned last year, I'm learning this year, stuff we're learning this year I'll probably end up learning next year. It's really beneficial, because it feels like I know what I'm talking about in the classroom, because I have this outside of class sort of setting and everything.

Can you describe any new connections you've made—whether with peers or role models—through Project Scientist? How did those connections impact you?

Oh, for sure! We haven't had as many STEM superstars come in this year, but last year two of them actually live in my small town, which was really fun, and it's like, wait, I saw you at the grocery store last week. But yeah, it’s that and obviously, I'm really good friends with Selah. Cali is also a really good friend of mine, and it's just really fun to see, Analise too, we're also pretty tight. It's really fun to just connect, obviously like seeing people's faces. Also, all across the country, because, I'm gonna keep bringing up Selah because they're near and dear to my heart, but they are in North Carolina, and I'm in California, Southern California. So it’s entirely across the country. And it's really nice to have those connections. It's like comparing and contrasting different parts of the country. 

What challenges, if any, do you face in finding STEM opportunities outside of Project Scientist?

For me, honestly, it's just schedule stuff, because I do so much. So this is the only STEM thing I can currently feasibly do outside of school science. My school science program is not as good as this so this is absolutely so beneficial. I know that robotics would be a fun one. My sister does robotics, but I don't have the time to do it, which is kind of unfortunate, because I have friends on the team, and they placed second this year. So they're doing really well.

How has your view of STEM careers changed since joining Project Scientist?

I feel like they seem almost more approachable because before, like. For example, I'm just gonna take one like a doctor. I was like, Oh, my gosh! So much schooling, so much everything. But like we actually recently talked to Miss Robin's cousin, and she is studying, she's a Med student, and it just seems so much more approachable, for so many different reasons. Like why people do it, how a little more manageable it seemed, and stuff like that.

Are there any skills or knowledge you’ve learned through the program that you’ve used in other parts of your life?

Definitely, I feel like it's made me stronger. I was already pretty strong with my public speaking, but like getting up there, especially on the 1st day of a new semester of Scholars, it's like, Oh, yeah, I know none of these people, and I'm going to explain every little detail about everything. We had a mental health unit, we just touched on mental health in our last session, and it was like we just all got really deep with our emotional whole things and I feel like it really brought us really close as a group. I feel like I have better leadership skills. So I feel like I know when to take charge of a group, especially in classroom settings. It's definitely been a big help. I know how to create slideshows in under 5 minutes now, because of Project Scientist.

What advice would you give to other students thinking about joining Project Scientist or a similar program?

Oh, absolutely do it! It's so much fun. I have absolutely no regrets about joining. I do a lot of extracurriculars, and out of all of this this is probably my lightest one demand wise, because it's two hours on a Sunday in, for me, the afternoon. If you do have to miss, it's pretty easy to catch up or like you don't miss much, because every single session is just a little bit different. It's not like picking up knowledge from the one before. And yeah, absolutely do it. It's really fun. It's a really good experience. It looks good on college applications, and it just helps make you a more well-rounded individual.

What do you like doing for fun?

It's a loaded question. I just came from improv practice, but you can see from this little bit of my wall, I really like musical theater. I'm in a marching band, so I play the flute. I play a bunch of instruments. I actually have piano class for like two hours. I sing, I do musical theater. So I have singing, acting, I can kind of dance. I really enjoy reading, and I really enjoy cooking and baking, and that was also a fun thing for Project Scientist. We had a little culinary unit, and we got to learn about that kind of stuff, and that was just really fun. It reignited the little spark I had for cooking. So that's really fun. Oh, and I like to knit and sew. I’m making a blanket right now.

Kaily's story serves as a reminder of how important it is to embrace new experiences, build meaningful connections, and take every opportunity to grow, whether in STEM or in life. For any student considering joining Project Scientist or a similar program, Kaily’s advice is clear: do it! The experiences and friendships gained are invaluable.