UCSD Extension Classmate Interview

Part 1. I interviewed Mary! Here is my short piece. Definitely tough to fit a lot into this!

Not all science communicators have worn lab coats or engineered new inventions. In fact, anyone can help spread the love for science if they have the passion and the dedication to make it happen. Mary Edwards, a science writer in training, aims to bring her interest in environmental science to the people around her.

To push herself further on her path, Edwards is completing her Science Communicate Certificate at UCSD Extension. While she is not sure now where she might be in the immediate future, she sees herself using her experience to educate the public at museums. “I feel like the way that you can make writing meaningful is by making it universally accessible.”

Her ambition stems from her childhood growing up close to Washington D.C., where a plethora of science museums like the Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum are clustered. In addition, living close to the Appalachians imbued her with a love for preserving the environment.

However, the path to get this point has been a little more non-traditional. Knowing that she wanted to write, Edwards attended college in North Carolina, earning her degree in English Literature. A move to San Diego in search of new job opportunities landed her a social media marketing position. She quickly figured marketing wasn’t her interest.

She’s not afraid to keep working at it. “[Science writing] is something that I feel like I could see myself getting more and more into.”

Part II

Writing for the UCSD engineering helped me get much more comfortable interviewing people, so I wasn't too worried going in. However, I didn't get the chance to prep questions, so I ended up asking follow up question after follow up question, which sometimes works, but sometimes can go on tangents if you're not careful haha. As a result, I think my info spread out very thin and the story is broader in scope than intended. The end is a little wonky, but I ran out of space by then.

I'm planning to cover either the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover launch on Wednesday or this UCSD Diversity in Science lecture (graduate students from underrepresented communities present their research, basically). Probably will do the rover launch because I'm a little tired of covering UCSD events sometimes..

For the rover launch, I'll probably ask questions at the Q&A. I'm excited!