I first got interested in the biomedical fields in my freshman year of high school, when I took an introduction to biomedicine class. There, I was introduced to the union between biology and medicine, and I thought: "There are as many questions in this field of STEM as there are answers!" This was a game-changing realization for me at the time, and I wanted to create an organization to find answers to those never-ending stream of questions.
But, there was one thing standing in my way. How could I, a female interested in the STEM fields, start an organization from the ground up in a field dominated by men? As an Indian-American female, I was brought up to think that men dominated the science fields; in India, women weren't given the same importance that men got in terms of STEM. Over time, I realized that femininity was a plus--- we women had more experiences that we could integrate into STEM fields. Constantly fighting for a spot at the STEM table had given women a chance to learn more skills, and I wanted to use that to create an organization where all people interested in the biomedical fields, including engineering, could collaborate on projects and learn more about STEM while breaking stereotypes on the way.
Now, as a junior in high school, I learned that being a women in STEM is influential; I have the power to help other people. Realizing this fact has led me to found my organization, Basically Biomedicine. Basically Biomedicine aims to give all students a chance to learn about the biomedical fields through outreach, education, and awareness. We will host workshops featuring a college application series, biomedical career series, and how to start your own non-profit series. We will also have a mentorship and tutoring program, an international student-led scientific journal, and a podcast. In addition, we will also be having impact projects that you can start in your own community- whether it be creating your own non-profit or a website or an app. Our last initiative (for the time being) is to have a scholarship program to give scholarships to under-represented, in poverty, and homeless youth who are interested in biomedicine!
Though it may seem like a lot, this can all be done -- with your help! We hope to accomplish all of our goals with your help, and you can make a difference in your community by joining Basically Biomedicine. We will also be opening executive director positions soon, so stay tuned for more leadership opportunities!
Follow Basically Biomedicine on Instagram: @basicallybiomedicine
Follow Aiswarya on Instagram: @aiswarya.saravanan