Hi! My name is Arden, I’m a second year chemistry major at UCF. I graduated class of 2020 from the Liberal Arts and Science Academy HS in Austin, Texas, and my dream after graduating from UCF is to pursue a chemistry PhD and work as a research scientist. My favorite class so far has been Organic Chemistry. I love studying structures and reactions, to me it feels like solving a puzzle!

I joined the STEM Ambassador program to help students unlock a love of science within them, and to show that STEM isn’t scary or boring like they may have been led to believe. I think the most important thing in STEM education is meeting students where they are and recognizing their individual interests and abilities to help them grow on their own journey. My advice to future STEM students is to go all in on the things that excite you. If you hear about something in class that interests you, go home and learn more about it. You’ll never regret gaining knowledge!

Outside of school my favorite things to do are cooking, spending time with my friends and family, and caring for my pets. I’m the proud mother of a little black cat named Jiji, a ball python named Melon, and a pacman frog named Chicken Nugget.