Mental health & failure in STEM, Social media as a space for vulnerability, Takeaways from 3 internships at NASA: The Bloom interviews Ariana Castillo

Welcome back to the monthly Mozzafiato for inspiring mid-week motivation! 

As part of this special edition of The Bloom, you'll still get something informative, something practical, and something entertaining, but all of this will come from someone
Mozzafiato. For those of you wondering what Mozzafiato means, it’s an Italian word untranslatable to English, and it describes something that impacts you deeply, evoking feelings of admiration and awe. And our guest this month, Ariana Castillo, brings Mozzafiato to life in every way.  
In the US, women make up only 29% of scientists and engineers, and 11.5% are women of color. One of the most striking statistics within the 11.5% is Latinas; more than 17% of the US population includes Latinas, and yet they make up less than 6% of scientists. The drastic representation gap is NOT a coincidence; women around the world, and especially women of color, face social and structural discrimination that make it difficult not only to access male-dominated offices, but also to be treated equally once they're working. These unjust conditions have pushed many women passionate about STEM to speak out and advocate for radical change. One of these women is Ariana Castillo

As a young, queer, and Latinx woman, Ariana sits at multiple intersections traditionally (and presently) marginalised in STEM – but it is precisely her experiences within these diverse intersections that empowered Ariana to become a powerful voice in the STEM community and share her incredible story. Beyond her impressive 3 internships at NASA, extensive research in atmospheric science, and acceptance into a PhD at Harvard, what we at The Bloom especially admire is Ariana’s vulnerability, and advocacy for mental health. Ariana doesn’t only use her platforms to share her successes; more so, she treats them as a space for vulnerability, sharing with her community the multiple “failures” and mental health issues she’s overcome and continues to face in her journey. Her presence online is meaningful, raw, and authentic, and through this, through this voice she’s established, she’s not only encouraging other young people to pursue a career in STEM, but also encouraging them to bloom into their best selves.

What is your relationship to failure?

​Failure is a topic in STEM that isn’t really addressed; many folx strive for perfection. I finished my freshman year with a 2.6-2.7ish GPA and I felt like I did not have a place where I was, but I sat down and reevaluated perspective and realised I had set goals for myself that weren’t 100% unattainable. But reaching out and seeking help and resources was instrumental for me and helped me excel.

Mental health/failure intersection is also a huge topic of interest in STEM, where there is a culture that promotes lack of sleep and overworking like badges of honor. I, too, had this mentality. My lack of focus on myself and my mental health facilitated a drastic downward trend where I was diagnosed with multiple illnesses. They were debilitating to the point where I felt guilty for being tired and considered myself lazy for taking the night off from my studies. It got very serious to the point where it was severely life threatening - I was failing classes I would typically do well in and I had no hope. I think the biggest “failure” I’ve had was withdrawing from school to pursue mental health treatment, and when I put the word ‘failure’ in quotations, it is because I saw taking a break and graduating late as failures  [...]

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