Anoushka Soni

About Me

My name is Anoushka Soni (she/her) and I live in Austin, Texas. I am currently a junior this year. Some of my STEM interests include science and engineering; specifically, I have great interest in chemistry and engineering graphics. Some of my non-STEM interests include art, photography, product design and sustainability. I have many hobbies and extracurriculars such as playing the piano, guitar and learning new languages and cultures!

Research Experience

At the start of the program, I felt very excited about what I was going to be learning more about and meeting my mentor as well! I was a bit confused on where and how to start on my paper, as I had a broader understanding of what I would want to research but not anything specifically of what I wanted to do. However, my mentor was able to help me throughout the process and start my paper!

Throughout the program, my excitement to learn more and work with my mentor stayed pretty much the same (if not increased). Although things may have gotten a bit stressful as the deadline was approaching, I was able to make sure that I turned in a quality paper on time in accordance with the deadline with the help of all the support I was given throughout the program.

Participating in Talaria has also influenced my future interest when considering the different fields of science I would be interested in looking into. Before Talaria, I was very interested solely in Engineering. However, Talaria has now helped me to gain more love for chemistry and all of its applications.

Overall, I loved how flexible and personalized the program was, and I really appreciated the variety in what was able to be researched!

Mentorship Experience

My experience working with my mentor was like no other. Dr. Iovan and I bonded over many of the things that we had been working on, science related or not. She was able to guide me with all of her knowledge regarding writing lab papers, and much more. She was extremely flexible and understanding to my needs and curiosities. Even though she was not specifically experienced with the topics that I was researching, she was able to help me so much in the process of researching my topic!

Community Experience

My experience with other Talaria participants was great! We were all able to communicate on a daily basis using Discord. This was great to learn about other people's topics and get to know my fellow mentees!

Who I Recommend Talaria For

I would recommend Talaria for a student who is dedicated and motivated to expanding their experience in science and professionals. Additionally, to students who love to apply STEM in as many ways possible and in a flexible manner.