Our spotlight this week is Summer Rozema, an undergraduate researcher in the chemistry department for the Wood lab!
What interested you to pursue a career in STEM?
I had a really amazing biology teacher in high school that made me want to study science! I was actually originally wanting to go into medicine but after first semester sophomore year, I fell in love with organic chemistry/lab work and decided to pursue research instead. I switched my major to chemistry, worked in a lab over the summer, and the rest was history.
How would you describe your work to the public?
Organic chemistry is just like cooking without a recipe! In lab, I combine different chemicals under a variety of environments trying to get certain intermediates with the end goal of a large molecule. It would be like if I asked you to make a cake, gave you wheat, sugar cane, a chicken, and a cow, then you had to figure it out from there!
Outside of the lab, what do you enjoy doing?
Outside of lab, I really enjoy trying new restaurants with friends, baking, and watching New Girl with my roommates! I'm from the Pacific Northwest so I also really like skiing, hiking, and being outside when the Waco weather cooperates.
Is there something during your research career that you have really enjoyed or want to share?
The best part of being in research at Baylor is getting to be friends with everyone in the lab! The graduate student's in the Wood group are so welcoming, kind and encouraging. They are all great chemists to look up to and having been so inspiring, especially when I think about applying to a chemistry grad program and works towards being a grad student like them!
If you can give a piece of advice to the younger generation, what would it be?
It takes time! Since being in high school, I have switched my 'path' 4 times and each time I learned more about myself and it only gets better. I had (have) pretty bad imposter syndrome and thought I wasn't good enough for Baylor, not good enough to be successful in STEM, not good enough to get into a lab, etc. However, with time and perseverance, I have surprised myself and am so glad I stuck with it. If it's something you think you might passionate about, don't give up!
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