COMMUNICATING RESEARCH THROUGH INFORMAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS WHILE SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATING A GEOSCIENCE CAREER

It can be challenging for a first-generation and non-majority individual to navigate through a higher education system, such as a four-year academic institution. Fortunately, community outreach programs that are sponsored by earth science/geoscience departments allows for individuals to interact and network within that department while engaging with the broader community about earth science processes. I will speak from personal experience on the importance of informal community outreach programs that focus on earth science processes. I will discuss how I transitioned from being a participant in community outreach events to designing, co-leading, and organizing new community outreach events that focus on earth science processes. My experience with participating in educational community outreach programs while working towards my undergraduate degree has contributed to my decision to pursue graduate school. Now, in the Ph.D. program, I am designing an educational outreach module that will incorporate the different regions of my research area with the goal to educate others on subduction zone processes. Overall, I will share how my experience as a first-generation and non-majority female community member has motivated me to encourage the next generation of Indigenous and Latinx scholars.