My name is Kiana Becerra Marulanda and I am a mechanical engineer major and Bioengineering minor. I graduated from Osceola High School in 2022 and I’m going to be a junior at UCF this year. One of my favorite classes at UCF was Chemistry 2, although the course was difficult, we were assigned groups and from there I have met some amazing people, who are still good friends of mine. I loved the material and always enjoyed studying for the course. My favorite professor was Dr. Yang. I had her for calculus 3 and she really enjoyed teaching the subject which made class so much more enjoyable. I loved the energy she gave off and I never had a bad day when I had her class, I wished she had taught differentials because I know I would have enjoyed it even more. I decided to get involved with WiSTEM because I want to be able to be that guidance towards other women who are in the STEM field. I have lots of pride about being a woman in engineering and I want to share and spread that with others. Having someone there for you that first semester is relieving especially in such a brand-new environment, and I want to be able to provide just like other people have done to me. I expect everyone to have fun and to enjoy the semester even when classes start to look impossible, and to look at this program as a getaway and support system instead of a responsibility/chore, to know you are never alone. During my free time I enjoy watching Netflix, trying new foods, and hanging out with my kitten Esmee. Words of advice for the WiSTEM freshmen students: It’s okay to be scared, anxious or nervous here at UCF. You are brand new and adjusting to the “college life”, and soon enough you will be experts at it.