When Guizella Rocabado leaves her home in Bolivia to pursue her education in the United States, her plan hits an unexpected snag.
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Computer scientist LaShana Lewis’s childhood dream of attending Space Camp starts to feel far away — until she gets the Christmas surprise of a lifetime.
Read MoreKellie Vinal: This Big, Significant Moment of Truth
As a biochemistry PhD student, Kellie Vinal has worked hard to prepare for her qualifying exam, but when the day finally arrives, nothing goes according to plan.
Read MoreJoey Slamon: Don't Tell Me What to Do
Due to stress in her personal life, TV writer Joey Slamon develops a cyst in an unfortunate place.
Read MoreBen Kennedy: Having Fun with Science
Volcanologist Ben Kennedy’s attempts to be taken seriously as a scientist are undermined by his youthful appearance.
Read MoreMichelle McCrackin: I Could Have Been Her
Miserable at her corporate job, Michelle McCrackin begins to dream of a career in wildlife biology.
Read MoreDevine Joyce: Grieving for Someone I Didn't Even Know
While working as a research assistant on a traumatic brain injury study, Devine Joyce struggles with feelings of depression, but an experience with a patient changes her outlook.
Read MoreKevin Burgio: My Good Will Hunting Moment
On the eve of his first big talk at a major international conference, ecologist Kevin Burgio discovers there’s something seriously wrong with the clothes he’d planned to wear.
Read MoreJoseph Mendelson: Gringo Perdido
When herpetologist Joseph Mendelson gets his an opportunity to do fieldwork in Guatemala during his first year of graduate school, he struggles to connect with the locals.
Read MoreSeth Cottrell: I Got a Lot of Questions
Looking to connect with new people, mathematician Seth Cottrell sets up an ‘Ask a Mathematician’ booth at Burning Man.
Read MoreMonica O’Neal: What Goodbye Is Supposed to Feel Like
Psychologist Monica O’Neal is an expert in relationships — but in her personal life, she finds herself struggling when it comes to saying goodbye.
Read MoreJacqueline Trumbull: Psychological Skydiving
Jacqueline Trumbull is preparing for a career in research psychology when she gets a call from a casting agent for The Bachelor.
Read MoreKelley Remole: A Brain Floating in a Sink
Neuroscientist Kelley Remole begins suffering from mysterious and paralyzing headaches.
Read MorePhillip Comella: We Are Not Paying You to Poop
After years of suffering, Phillip Comella discovers the cause of his “excessive bathroom breaks” while working on his thesis in biomedical science.
Read MoreWade Roush: Facing the Challenger
A trip to the Kennedy Space Center reminds Wade Roush of what originally inspired him to pursue science journalism.
Read MoreRaymond Carr: The Giant Robot Animatronic Dinosaur Puppet in the Room
When puppeteer Raymond Carr gets the opportunity of a lifetime, to work on a big-budget show about the evolution of dinosaurs, he worries about how his creationist parents will react.
Read MoreMichaella Thornton: The Grade AA, Beautiful, Golden Embryo of My Dreams
When Michaella Thornton shares her struggles with infertility with her bachelor farmer father, his response stuns her.
Read MoreDan Souza: Nurse Mom
As a kid, Dan Souza finds it hard to appreciate his mother’s nursing expertise until he sees it in action after a series of fateful incidents.
Read MoreEmi Okikawa: Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean
When she’s accepted into the conservation fellowship of her dreams in Washington, DC, Emi Okikawa must break the news to her family that she’s leaving their home in Hawaii.
Read MoreJennifer Landa: The Greatest Teacher, Failure Is
The only thing standing in the way of Jennifer Landa’s dreams of studying art in college is her grade in chemistry.
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