Meet Raziel Hernandez

Hello! My name is Raziel Hernandez, and I am from Panama! I study Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, and Fall 2022 will be my last semester. I love biking and hiking. You can always find me on one of the NWA trails! I also love painting and photography in my spare time. From a very young age, I have always enjoyed science-related activities. Science fairs were always my favorite activities at school. 

I was interested in this internship because, first, I love STEAM education. One of my favorite and recurrent quotes that professors always say to us in class when studying for an exam is “If you can teach it to your grandmother, then you know the topic well enough.” As scientists, we often explore really complex topics, but often forget how to communicate necessary information to other people. This internship allows me to challenge myself to break down the knowledge that I have, go back to basics, and have fun while learning and teaching! Kids are amazing observers and always have out-of-the-box ideas, which are important characteristics for science research. 

Secondly, my undergraduate education is funded by a scholarship program from SENACYT (A science and technology research public institution in Panama). Our compromise is to go back to Panama and contribute to developing a research culture in Panama. 55% of the graduates from the program start as educators in their field (school teachers, tutors, STEAM foundation consultants, etc). This internship will help me learn STEAM education strategies, as well as classroom management.