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Moments of Joy & Reflection – Summer 2020

Meet the CIM2AS Summer 2020 research interns and see what they are accomplishing!

Cultural Immersion in Monarchs & Milkweeds Advancing Science Education (CIM²AS)

UIC is one of the most diverse campuses in the country, with two-thirds of our students identifying as Asian, Black or Latinx. Latinx students currently make up approximately 35% of undergraduates. UIC is the only public university in the Midwest that is both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and classified by Carnegie as a doctoral university with the highest levels of research activity. The vision of CIM²AS is to build on the opportunity we have at UIC to foster the interest of Latinx students in the sciences, to draw more Latinx students to major in Biology and Chemistry at UIC, and to support their success as they move through their courses. While the changes to the curriculum target Latinx students, the new curriculum should positively impact all students enrolled in the courses by creating connections through the theme of monarchs and milkweeds.

Summer 2020 Moments by CIMAS Research Interns Heading link

  1. Moment by Susan: “My niece turned 3 and we had a little celebration with just those at the house, but I could tell she was very happy to be celebrating her birthday. She had a lot of fun and it was great to stop and enjoy ourselves for a while.”
    “My niece turned 3 and we had a little celebration with just those at the house, but I could tell she was very happy to be celebrating her birthday. She had a lot of fun and it was great to stop and enjoy ourselves for a while.” - Susan Albor | July 14, 2020
  2. Moment by Tanisa: “The impossible happened, my parakeets had a baby! I never thought it would happen since Athena (the mom) would always be aggressive and peck at her cage mate, Ripley (the dad). I now have a practically fully grown parakeet that I helped raise, and it was really cool to watch him grow up and bond with him.”
    “The impossible happened, my parakeets had a baby! I never thought it would happen since Athena (the mom) would always be aggressive and peck at her cage mate, Ripley (the dad). I now have a practically fully grown parakeet that I helped raise, and it was really cool to watch him grow up and bond with him.” - Tanisa Lopez | July 1, 2020
  3. Moment by Faith: “My moment of joy was this past Father's Day. I enjoyed being able to spend a little time with my father after a few months of social distancing. We also have a new baby in the family. It was great to see her and just spend time reflecting with family.”
    “My moment of joy was this past Father's Day. I enjoyed being able to spend a little time with my father after a few months of social distancing. We also have a new baby in the family. It was great to see her and just spend time reflecting with family.” - Faith Brown | June 29, 2020
  5. Moment by Prisila: “One moment of joy I recently had was that my best friend recently gifted me a pair of roller blades! It was always a childhood dream of mine to own skates and learn how to rollerblade so it was super exciting and emotional to have someone I love help me achieve a childhood dream. So far I have a long way to go learning wise, but hopefully I get better soon!”
    “One moment of joy I recently had was that my best friend recently gifted me a pair of roller blades! It was always a childhood dream of mine to own skates and learn how to rollerblade so it was super exciting and emotional to have someone I love help me achieve a childhood dream. So far I have a long way to go learning wise, but hopefully I get better soon!” - Prisila Alvarez | June 30, 2020
  6. Moment by Naomi: “I spent an amazing day with my friends—that I hadn't seen in weeks—and we went for a nature walk and I took my doggy. It felt so nice to be out in my element once again. Afterwards, we went to eat at my favorite spot, B-Dubs! A couple of months ago, that was an ordinary day for me. To be able to sit, laugh, and enjoy the day out made me so grateful and reminded me to appreciate the little things! ”
    “I spent an amazing day with my friends—that I hadn't seen in weeks—and we went for a nature walk and I took my doggy. It felt so nice to be out in my element once again. Afterwards, we went to eat at my favorite spot, B-Dubs! A couple of months ago, that was an ordinary day for me. To be able to sit, laugh, and enjoy the day out made me so grateful and reminded me to appreciate the little things! ” - Naomi Esquivel | June 25, 2020
  7. Moment by Alissa: “I had a moment of joy this past weekend when I was able to visit my dad for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic for Father's Day. I was even able to bring along my dog Hazel for the visit! Having spent so much time at home over these last few months, it's nice to appreciate the chance to spend time with loved ones.”
    “I had a moment of joy this past weekend when I was able to visit my dad for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic for Father's Day. I was even able to bring along my dog Hazel for the visit! Having spent so much time at home over these last few months, it's nice to appreciate the chance to spend time with loved ones.” - Alissa Doucet | June 25, 2020
  8. Moment by Delilah: “During the shift to online learning I felt at unease without being on campus. I quickly found that my community didn't disappear because there was no online instruction. My friends and family were always a phone call away and during trying times, I always cheered up after reaching out to my closest friends. This time has shown me the inextricable bond my community has to keep us headstrong.”
    “During the shift to online learning I felt at unease without being on campus. I quickly found that my community didn't disappear because there was no online instruction. My friends and family were always a phone call away and during trying times, I always cheered up after reaching out to my closest friends. This time has shown me the inextricable bond my community has to keep us headstrong.” - Delilah Hernandez | July 1, 2020

What is your moment of joy & reflection?

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