One of the most rewarding parts of my undergraduate experience has been serving as a leader for the RSO, Grey Matters. I started as an editor for the journal, joined the outreach team, became a social media manager, and finally progressed from Outreach Officer to Outreach Director. As a leader, I participated in events such as Evening with Neuroscience and the UW Medicine Department of Neurology’s "Neurology Day." My role on Outreach leadership involved planning, leading, and training Grey Matters members for outreach events at local primary schools where we taught sheep brain dissections, neurotechnology demonstrations, and college Q&As. After seeing the rampant spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and my extended family’s refusal to mask or vaccinate, I became incredibly passionate about scientific communication. I witnessed firsthand how accessible and interpretable science saves lives. Through Grey Matters, I work on this mission, participating in outreach education, authoring and editing Neuroscience articles, and posting educational and mentorship-related content on Instagram and TikTok.
My role on Outreach leadership involved planning, leading, and training Grey Matters members for outreach events at local primary schools where we taught sheep brain dissections, neurotechnology demonstrations, and college Q&As.
I was able to teach neuroscience to students at events and Grey Matters members at our trainings, making neuroanatomy knowledge feel effortless and second nature due to my repetition. My experiences with Grey Matters have molded me into an effective public speaker, scientific communicator, and inclusive leader, emboldening me to break down the barriers to access Neuroscience. Through Grey Matters outreach, I had the privilege of teaching K-12 students from various backgrounds about Neuroscience for the first time, witnessing their light bulb moments and wide eyes. When revisiting schools, students will teach me what they remember, reciting my silly mnemonics back to me. These encounters always remind me how this field first captivated my imagination.
I was able to teach neuroscience to students at events and Grey Matters members at our trainings, making neuroanatomy knowledge feel effortless and second nature due to my repetition.
Grey Matters also connected me to Brock Gjesdal, a UW Neuroscience alumnus and founder of Know Before We Grow, a group that educates elementary and middle school students on the neuroscience of drugs and alcohol. Before Brock left for medical school, he trained me on how to present interactively with students, including a demonstration where we used balloons as drug molecules and students as drug receptors. Ultimately, Grey Matters inspired me to pursue scientific education and provided me with new connections to continue making neuroscience more accessible.
