Today is National Leaders of Tomorrow Day and InnerAct Alliance would like to take opportunity to highlight one of our UthMpact Leaders, Brianna Castano, who has served as an intern for InnerAct Alliance this year.
We asked Brianna some questions about her goals for the future now that she is graduating high school. Please read her answers below.
Q1 - What college have you chosen to attend and what do you plan to study?
A1 - Starting in the fall, I will be attending the University of Central Florida as a data science major.
Q2 - In your chosen field of study, is there an opportunity for you to become a leader?
A2 - There are definitely opportunities. Data scientists work in teams and I could potentially lead a team on a project.
Q3 - You've been part of UthMpact for a logn time, and you've also been such a tremendous help here in the office! What experience have you gained from being in UthMpact and interning at InnerAct Alliance?
A3 - I have done a lot of things I never thought a high schooler would. I attend meetings, write grant applications, speak on the news, serve as a receptionist; heck, I've even been to jail (on a tour, I wasn't arrested). Through these things and more, I learned how to do a lot of things as well as build on soft skills. My people and communication skills have greatly improved. However, the biggest thing I will be taking away from my time at UthMpact and InnerAct Alliance is a greater sense of confidence. Before joining UthMpact, if the attention was on me, my face would be tomato red. Before interning, I dreaded answering the phone. Those things don't bother me anymore. Being placed in all these new places, situations, and tasks and having to figure it out more-than-less on my own, has grown my confidence in that I'm capable of figuring out whatever life throws at me.
Q4 - In your chosen field of study, what is your goal? Is there something in particular that you want to accomplish within your field of study?
A4 - At the moment, I barely know what I'm getting myself into. I don't understand data science enough yet to have goals for myself in the field. Ideally, I'd like to use my findings to do good and not just increase profits. However, I know that in the future I want to encourage and mentor girls in STEM. In STEAM and advanced classes, it wasn't uncommon for me to be one of only a few girls. Even a decade later, I still remember being the only girl in a line of boys receiving a math trophy. My goal, I suppose, will be to encourage other girls who are interested in STEM and help them to excel.
Congratuations Brianna & all our UthMpact Leaders!
We know you will continue to do big things!!
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