Jessica Stanek

About Me

Participating in Talaria has provided me with experience in the STEM field that I hadn't had previously, due to some obstacles regarding my financial situation. I am very grateful that I was able to participate in the program, as it has changed my opinion on research. I was originally unsure about research, as I had never done it before, but this program has made me realize how beneficial research is to society, and I may consider doing research as a career in the future.

Research Experience

The first 1-2 weeks of the project were a bit overwhelming. I had never done scientific research, so it was kind of difficult to find resources for my topic. Since I was just starting, and I didn't know exactly what I was going to research on, it was a lot of information to sift through. As the program continued, I got closer with my mentor, and she helped me with everything I needed. Whenever I was stuck on a topic, or I couldn't find a reference, my mentor and I looked for them together. The stress that I felt at the beginning of the program went away as my mentor taught me how to research and write my paper. Participating in Talaria influenced my future interests because it made me more interested the field studies that are done on wild animals. I wrote my paper on lizard husbandry, and many of the procedures were derived from the observance of the lizards in their natural habitat. Now that I have done research on the topic, I know that there is far more to learn from animals in the wild, and I am definitely considering research as a possible future career.

Mentorship Experience

My mentor was extremely helpful throughout the entire process. When I first started researching, she taught me how to look for papers and what key words to use. After the research portion, she checked my rough drafts thoroughly and left suggestions for edits. If there were any suggestions I didn't understand, we would go over them together on our zoom meetings. She also taught me how to write references, which is something I had never done before. She had extensive knowledge on the subject that I conducted my research on, so she was very helpful in answering any questions I had on the topic. She was very patient with me, and she accommodated to my schedule. I am so grateful that I had such an amazing mentor, because without her, I wouldn't have gained all of the knowledge that I now have on doing research.

Favorite Part of Talaria

My favorite part about participating in Talaria was connecting with my mentor on a topic that we were both passionate about.

Who I Recommend Talaria For

I would recommend Talaria to anyone interested in conducting research on a topic. The topic can be from any field of science, so there is something for everyone.

Advice for Future Applicants

I would tell them to definitely apply! The research paper was a lot of work, but it was also really fun and very rewarding. I was also a part of an in-person chapter, so I had a lot of fun with the other mentees at the events.