Name: Jennalyn Resendez
Major: Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology
2022-2023: 3^rd Year Student

Jennalyn, our Vice President of Tours, is this month's featured Science Ambassador. She was elected to the position in October and immediately got to work preparing for Discover UCR, an open-house event for prospective students. In just a couple weeks, Jennalyn trained all the new and returning ambassadors on how to give tours on a brand new tour route! She was able to meet with each ambassador individually to make sure everyone was confident on their tour-giving abilities. On the day of the event, Jennalyn worked tirelessly to pair up prospective students and their families with tour guides who had majors similar to tourists' interests. CNAS tours ran smoothly all day long, thanks to Jennalyn. We truly couldn't have done it without her. Jennalyn has big plans for the rest of the year, and we can't wait to see her success moving forward! Get to know Jennalyn some more below!

Describe a challenge you've faced and how you were able to overcome it.
One challenge that I faced when I got to UCR was that I had to quickly adapt to living on my own and being far away from all my family and friends. I am from  Northern California, and I had never been away from home like this before. I knew that I had to find my own support system away from home in order to overcome the loneliness that I was feeling. I overcame this challenge by getting a CNAS Peer Mentor who introduced me to this Science Ambassadors Program. Within this program I have been able to surround myself with people who are passionate about science and people who truly wanted to help others find their place at UCR. I found my home in the Science Ambassadors Program, and I have found my own place here at UCR. 

What is an experience you've had in college thus far that will stick with you for the rest of your life?One thing that I have experienced in college thus far that I will never forget was when I gave my first ever CNAS Science Ambassadors tour on Highlander Day during my 2nd year. This was a HUGE group of over 60 people, and my tour partner and I were basically shouting trying to make sure that everyone could hear what we were saying. By the end of the tour, I was exhausted and unsure if I had done a good enough job to make sure I had reached everyone in the way that I wanted to. Then, a girl and her family came up to me, got my attention, and said, “Jennalyn, I really enjoyed your tour.” She then introduced herself to me and asked me some questions about UCR as well as a few questions about my own experiences in college so far. After our conversation, she took out her phone and pointed to her screen and said, “This booth says “Submit your SIR” right? And it's over here?” (as she pointed in the direction of the booth). I replied, “Yes'' and she said, “Okay great, because I know now that this is where I want to go and I’m going right now to submit my SIR.” I was absolutely shocked. From the tour I gave and the barely 5 minute conversation I had with her, she had decided to choose UCR. I knew that I had made a difference in her life and that feeling was so fulfilling and rewarding that I knew I had found my purpose here at UCR.

Describe a challenge you've faced and how you were able to overcome it.
One challenge that I faced when I got to UCR was that I had to quickly adapt to living on my own and being far away from all my family and friends. I am from  Northern California, and I had never been away from home like this before. I knew that I had to find my own support system away from home in order to overcome the loneliness that I was feeling. I overcame this challenge by getting a CNAS Peer Mentor who introduced me to this Science Ambassadors Program. Within this program I have been able to surround myself with people who are passionate about science and people who truly wanted to help others find their place at UCR. I found my home in the Science Ambassadors Program, and I have found my own place here at UCR. 

What has your favorite class been thus far?
Thus far, my favorite class that I have taken at UCR is biol5LC which is the lab class for the Introduction to Evolution and Ecology course. This was the first time that I ever experienced fieldwork in person, and we got to hike up to Bio5C Hill and conduct our own research for projects we presented at the end of the quarter.

What is one piece of advice you have for your younger self?
One piece of advice that I would give my younger self would be to not stress about the things I cannot control. I would tell myself that everything happens for a reason, and everything that has already happened has led me to where I am today, and I am incredibly grateful for the life I get to live.

Pizza or tacos?
PIZZA!