My Place in STEM Spring Blog Post 2
My upbringing, family, and culture has hevaily influenced my mindset. I grew up in a very rural area on a farm. I had no neighbors and didn't live close enough to friends to have playdates. It was often just my siblings and parents working outside in the day and playing sports or riding horses in the evening. Opening huge metal irrigation gates, hauling giant hay bales, and climbing trees gave me experiences and lessons that I don't think many children in urban arease get exposed to. I feel like I developed a different preception of the world and life, which is sometimes a little isolating. However, I think it has benefitted my educational path in science by understanding there are different lifestyles and environments than just what is perceived in the city. My dad was an old rancher that raised us in cowboy culture. It's a very proud culture rooted in resilience, hard work, and plain ol' toughness. Although criticized and misunderstood, the culture has many values li