Winds of Change - College 2016 - 11

started MIT with a deficit. Some of my peers had already taken differential equations and computer programming, while my small-town high school maxed out at calculus I. I also had to be proactive in my college search, as my teachers and counselors weren't well versed in schools outside Nebraska. The application process itself was long and tedious. Because I was trying for a nationally ranked university, I started taking the ACTs and SATs early so I could retake them - I took my first ACT in seventh grade. During high school I also sought out summer programs at my dream schools. I did Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science, which gave me insight into what MIT would be like as a student. My mother couldn't afford to pay for my education, so I prioritized finding scholarships. I applied for upward of 25 scholarships and received funding from several sources, including the Gates Millennium Scholarship. I'd recommend that high school students identify a teacher early to be their recommendation writer and apply for as many scholarships as they can. When I first got to MIT, I felt lost. Homesickness was real. Being 1,500 miles away from home meant I couldn't go home as often as my state-school friends. To cope my freshman year I would call home multiple times a week, but by my sophomore to senior years, this trickled down to a weekly call. The academics were very difficult, which meant I had to limit my extracurriculars. Sophomore year was the most challenging by far. In my hardest class, unified engineering, I learned the necessity of group study and not to be ashamed to ask for help from my professor and the teaching assistants. Still, more than once, I had to cut my losses and drop a class toward the end of the term. To relieve stress, I was a percussionist in the Wind Ensemble. I also briefly contributed to the rocket team and space balloon team, both of which I had to cut to save time. When I started as a freshman, there was no Native-based club. With the encouragement of my mentor, Dr. Sophia Cisneros, a postdoc in astrophysics and a Native woman, I decided to restart the AISES chapter, which had been inactive for more than eight years. I led the club for most of my four years at MIT. Our group got together weekly to reconnect and keep the circle intact at a place so far from our homes. Leading the AISES chapter was my most rewarding experience Free, Six-Week Summer Health Professions Education Program outside the classroom. It taught me management skills involving talks with the MIT administration, budgeting, and delegating. Plus, being in the company of other Native students was rejuvenating in knowing that I wasn't alone in my journey through MIT. In the bigger picture, I've gained new professional connections and cultural networking through the National and Region 6 Conferences. Meeting other highachieving Natives in STEM at these conferences has been incredible - I wouldn't know they exist otherwise. My goal now is to contribute to the world by helping develop manned spacecraft to explore our last frontier - deep space - and to be a role model for the younger generation, especially young Native Americans who want to pursue a STEM career. - As told to Lindsey Yanow My most vivid memory of the program was being around people who looked and thought like me. It was the most 'at home' I'd felt with a group of people. It made me see where I could fit into medicine. It showed me I could be a doctor. They helped reinforce in me that there was every reason I should enroll in medical school. Sharlay Butler SHPEP class of 2006 University of Washington Resident, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Member of Coeur d'Alene Tribe www.facebook.com/shpepconnect www.twitter.com/shpepconnect Building on more than 25 years of success, SHPEP, formerly the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), has been changing lives and shaping the careers of college freshmen and sophomores. Learn how you can help build a Culture of Health through this free academic enrichment program. Application Opens: November 1, 2016 Application Deadline: March 1, 2017 To learn more, visit www.shpep.org aises.org SHPEP is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Dental Education Association. 2016-2017 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 11 http://www.facebook.com/shpepconnect http://www.twitter.com/shpepconnect http://www.shpep.org http://www.aises.org

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