My name is Samantha Sichenze and I am new to Penn State, actually to college in general.  During my NSO, I found out that being in the College of Health and Human Development meant that I was required to take a science class.  I was disappointed and nervous.  Science has never been “my thing” as long as I can remember.  From making dioramas of biomes in first grade to calculating the velocity of light in junior year, I couldn’t say I’ve enjoyed it.  Scrolling down the never ending list of science classes that I could take, I became overwhelmed.  Thankfully, my advisor , seeing the skepticism on my face said, “ Do you like science?”  I hesitated at first, thinking she was looking for a positive response, but then blurted out very frankly, “not at all.”  She said “Perfect!  SC200 is the class for you!”   She began to explain how the professor changes your entire perspective on the subject of science.  He makes you see it in a different light, in a way you’ve never seen or been taught before.  Coming from schools with poor science departments, I was doubtful.  Since first grade, I’ve had nothing but a negative outlook about learning science.  But I was up for the challenge – the challenge to see if this one course could make me love the one subject that I’ve always dreaded.  I’m now ready to take risks and step out of my comfort zone.

In high school, my experience in the science department was like a rollercoaster ride.  My results in biology and chemistry were adequate, but when I moved up to physics, my grades plummeted.  I tried so hard to maintain a good average in the course.  I went to Study Help once a week, in addition to hiring an outside tutor to come over and prep me for each test.  Unfortunately, nothing worked.  I would feel so defeated when my friends, who barely opened a book, scored significantly better than me.  Don’t get me wrong, high school isn’t the reason that I am not a science major, it just reinforced my decision to not pursue a career in that field.  I love to travel and meet new people, people with different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures.  This trait led me to choose Hospitality Management as my major.  The feeling of waking up each morning, knowing that my ultimate goal for that day is to help people will hopefully make me eager to start each day.  That’s not to say that there aren’t characteristics of scientists that I admire.  Their relentless pursuit to find cures for diseases or life on other planets, for example, inspires me.  That determination to make life better for people is something that I hope to take with me as I venture out on my career path. An issue I’m fascinated with is the ending of the world, as discussed in this article. People claim this to be true because it was written in the Bible, while others claim that to be false based on scientific facts. I would love to learn the actual truth behind this speculation. So I look forward to taking this class and possibly developing a better appreciation of the science that exists all around me.