By: Jessica Martin, SDSU Chapter Member
In mid-March, our lives as college students and scientists were turned upside down. Public policies requesting that we stay home and keep our distance from others have been inherently challenging and have created a tumultuous end to this academic year to say the least. Adjusting to the new “normal” and moving almost everything to a virtual and isolated setting has been no easy feat, but a few of our WSS chapters have excelled at taking on quarantine life. Our San Diego State University and UC Santa Cruz Chapters have been diligently creating opportunities for their members to socialize and connect with one another from home as well as giving them the chance to continue furthering their knowledge and professional developments. San Diego State University Our SDSU members got the opportunity to listen to Julia Keating, a PA student at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science. Keating shared tips about shadowing, getting certifications to complete direct patient care hours, and why she chose to pursue a career as a PA as opposed to other health professions.
On a more casual note, they also took the time to take advantage of being at home and hosted a pet show and tell! Science sisters and puppies? What more does a girl need?
UC Santa Cruz
Our UC Santa Cruz members got to attend a webinar from the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Webinar Series, a program that promotes ocean and climate literacy for students of all ages. Dr. Jan Newton spoke to them about marine heatwaves and how they are affecting the waters off the coast of Washington. Afterwards they were able to engage in a discussion with Dr. Newton.
The UC Santa Cruz Chapter also put on a game night for their members. They used skribbl, a game where one player is given a prompt for a drawing and the others must guess what it is.
Impact It is great to see the communities within our Chapters flourishing amid all the chaos by attending the online events that we have featured here as well as others that they have put on. We are happy to see that our members feel the same way!
