Non-native speaker’s application to AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (I)

On a summer weekend, I was sitting in the library of my graduate school university, researching and typing away about the chemicals in sunscreens. Neither topic was the focus of my graduate study — I wanted to write about science in everyday life and I was learning to write it in a simple and interesting manner.

That was nearly 6 years ago. Writing became a way for me to cope with challenging and stressful times in graduate school while raising two babies. Exiting academia, I had the fortunate opportunity to write as a journalist, reporting and telling stories that I would not have had access to otherwise.

The journey from being an academic researcher with deep training in a specialized science is valuable. They have helped to amplify and clarify the various voices that are operative in my professional and personal lives.

Prior to my PhD, I experienced graduate school anxiety but I didn’t properly recognize it — I’d say it was not a recognizable topic around the time I did my Master’s in Chemistry in Taiwan. The experience taught me the need of being intentional in my academic commitment and mental health care though. As I entered my second year of a doctoral program, I realized I wanted to diversify my focus and stop focusing entirely on PhD expectations. This became even more important that year when I had my first baby.

Photographed in 2018 — my 3rd year of PhD. When I visited the coffee shop in the summer of 2022 while working as a AAAS fellow journalist in North Carolina, I found that they no longer provided the in-house coffee mug, most likely due to COVID concerns, which was a little bummer because sipping on a disposable cup always felt less alignment when you sitting in the shop.

But, as a non-native speaker, I recognize that neither my grammar skills nor my speaking fluency is a keen qualification. As an immigrant scientist, it is a challenge for me to overcome numerous obstacles and be confident in requesting opportunities around me. I also felt overwhelmed and incompetent while leaving my babies at home.

I kept going.

By choosing to write about science in my second language, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to bring out the best in myself, as well as to reach more people who resonate with my words. On any given day, I am an ordinary science-majored PhD balancing research and personal family life. I tried making time and learning to be fearless to stay on track.

From 2017 when I first started thinking about and engaging in science writing, to 2022 I was selected as one of the cohorts of the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship, the process was messy but now looking back, might be somewhat strategic.

I wrote for a variety of publications, including the National Association of Science Writers and the United States Department of Energy Newsletters, as well as a student-run science communication blog and my own blog and social media. Taking leadership roles and attending workshops and conferences as much as I can — all being worthwhile for serving the community and my own needs of connection.

2018 — Into The Unknown

After publishing a few blog posts, I gained confidence in my writing abilities and continued to write more. In the spring of 2018, I attended a science communication conference in my local area in North Carolina to meet like-minded graduate students. I was nervous about going to a large gathering and possibly having to speak as a non-native speaker. I even approached one of the PhD students at school who previously attended it to ensure that the workshop would be a welcoming environment.

The experience was fantastic. Everyone had to give a one-minute elevator pitch about their research to the whole group, which I at first found intimidating, but the time flew by with interactive feedback and audience interaction. In the writing workshop, I had the opportunity to receive feedback and publish a post outside of my school that I’d not have been able to pitch and write for otherwise.

The two-day conference held on two separate weekends was a significant commitment for me as a mom of a one-year-old, but my partner encouraged me to attend for professional development and personal reasons, as it allowed me to pursue things that I’m excited about.

This graduate student’s conference was where I learned about the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship. I took notes from the past fellows — without actually acknowledging what a science journalist actually did, and started to follow the past fellows to learn about their paths and motivations.

Soon I became aware that all I needed was to just write.

* Series to be continued *

* First appeared in Medium blog.