Leslie Wynn

In my youth I would have been described as an “at-risk” teen who was destined for failure, growing up in poverty. Despite the adversity I have faced, I am a strong believer that where you grow up will not determine who you will be in the future. My living situation did not stop me from continuously exceeding the expectations of others. Through hard work and perseverance I graduated third in my class and received a scholarship from the American Chemical Society to study chemistry at Austin College. Early on, I developed a method of overcoming the obstacles in my life by focusing on my education and the things I am passionate about; such as dance and volunteering. I have experienced leadership positions on my high school and my undergraduate dance team, even restarting a dance program that died out in 2013. I also co-chaired the Service Station, an organization in which students were matched with local volunteer positions, where I designed and oversaw large scale volunteer programs involving over 400 student and faculty volunteers, 40-50 non-profit sites, and a food drive typically raising over 600 food items.
I am currently a graduate student at University of Houston in Clear Lake, striving for my M.S. in Chemistry with a Specialization in Petrochemical and Process Chemistry. I couldn’t have made it here without the help of my faculty mentor, who steered me on this path and helped me overcome mistreatment by professors as I faced unconscious cultural bias and racism. I now know how treacherous the journey into the STEM field can become without the support of both supervisors and peers. I can only hope that my experience can guide students facing difficulties, whether they be depression or oppression, to make the most of their undergraduate career and become successful through diversity. This is especially significant for me since I am the first in my family to attend graduate school and, as a woman of mixed race Hispanic descent, I aim to be a role model for others from similar backgrounds wishing to expand their education.