“TAME helped us see that engineering and science are good fields to go into, they showed us that it’s attainable, and they showed us a way to get there.”

Rachel is a former TAME club member and TAME scholar. Now a biochemistry student at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, she will soon be going on to medical school.

How did you hear about TAME?

I got involved with time as an 8th grader in Odessa, Texas, when I was invited to participate in the Math and Science competition (now known as STEM competitions) in Houston. The competition was a blast. It was well-organized and fun. I took tests in biology and physics, and then there was a group project where we had to simulate the most efficient windmill. It turned out to be an inertia formula. We didn’t win that time, but it was still really cool to work on it. We also got to tour a jet factory and listen to the people who worked there. TAME opened my eyes to math and science fields. I thought, you’re going to be fine if you get a degree in engineering or science. It gave me a confidence boost. With the help of a scholarship from TAME, I am now a senior studying biochemistry at UT Permian Basin and am hoping to go on to medical school. Two good friends of mine who went with me on a second trip to the Math and Science competition are now at UTPB studying to be petroleum engineers.

What makes TAME programs work?

What makes TAME special is that they reached out to us. I didn’t go looking for them. They came to us and they tried to get us involved. That was a big deal. Also, it was free to go to the competitions. A lot of kids wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to something like that, but it was free. TAME is really organized. They helped us see that engineering and science are good fields to go into, they showed us that it’s attainable, and they showed us a way to get there.