Karla Salazar
Name: Karla Salazar
Age: 22
Major: Master’s Degree in Chemistry
College: College of Sciences
Hometown: Brownsville, Texas
High School: Veterans Memorial Early College High School, Brownsville, Texas.
Why UTRGV?
I chose to attend UTRGV because it offered me an incredible academic opportunity and financial support while still being close to home and my family. The UTRGV campus is designed so beautifully with strong Hispanic culture and supporting, motivating, and caring staff.
What made you decide on your current major?
I always knew at the back of my mind I wanted to become a chemist. I had this vision inside my head that I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. When I was five or six years old, I remember mixing different things, such as toothpaste and water, to see and “analyze” what would happen. When I got to high school, I took the chemistry AP course and completely fell in love with the topics being taught. The experience I had in high school assured me that I wanted to become a chemist.
How are you maneuvering being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It has definitely been a tough year for everyone. As a student, I had difficulties in paying attention to the online lectures while being at home. In order to succeed within my courses, I had to create a space at home where I could concentrate more into the online lectures and study the material needed for each course. I am very grateful UTRGV was able to smoothly and quickly implement safety standards around the campus and create that switch to a virtual educational environment. This helped me and other students to continue to move forward despite the difficult challenges that the world was facing.
What are your greatest strengths and what are some challenges?
One of my greatest strengths is my ability to work hard and be very dedicated to my studies and duties. Some challenges that I definitely faced this year were involving my mental health. COVID-19 completely made me more aware of the vulnerability and fragility of human beings. There was a higher level of fear and anxiety that came from worrying about my loved one’s well-being.
What do you hope to achieve beyond completion of your major?
Beyond the completion of my major, I’d like to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry while studying abroad. I’d also like to establish several collaborations with UTRGV and continue to do research to help obtain a more sustainable future.
What do you like most about UTRGV?
I like the financial support and the opportunity UTRGV gives to students from such an early age to enroll into college. I remember being in high school and going through a program called concurrent enrollment where I was taking some basic courses while going through my senior year of high school. All the courses I took were covered by UTRGV and it helped me advance to graduate a semester early. I am really grateful to UTRGV for having those types of programs that helped me start off my college education.
What does being a Vaquero mean to you?
Being a Vaquero means to go above and beyond to innovate and to change the world to a better one. It means to improve knowledge and work together to engineer solutions that will make the world more sustainable.
What opportunities has UTRGV helped you find throughout your community?
I am beyond grateful to say that I was a graduate fellow and a sustainable leader working with the office for sustainability. I learned so much while working in collaboration with Dr. Parwinder Grewal, Mrs. Marianella Franklin, and the staff from the office for sustainability in order to excel on my research project to help sustainable development. My project aligns with United Nations sustainable development goals targeting the areas of life below water, the good health and well-being, and the clean water and sanitation categories. I also want to thank Mrs. Jayshree Bhat from the UTRGV Professional Education and Workforce Development to start and make me part of the Sustainability Student Leadership Program. In that program, I was able to listen and learn from other leaders around the Rio Grande Valley that have already impacted the community.
What advice do you have for fellow students pursuing degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The main advice I would give to students is to stay in check with your health, including your metal health. Health should always be the #1 priority. In addition, I would encourage students to stay positive and persistent in their studies. Everyone is different and I would advise students to find what works best for them.