My name is Vanessa Chambers. I am a thirty-nine-year-old wife and mother of two, a farmer’s daughter from Idaho, and a first-generation college student.

After high school, I joined the workforce where, for fifteen years, my jobs were in factories, construction zones, and home daycares where I made little more than minimum wage.

Once my children were both in school, I realized that I wanted to do something for myself and that it was time to prepare for our future. And so, I did the scariest thing I’ve ever done applied for admission to Utah State University where I planned to focus on Accountancy—that was until I took my first physical science class taught by Tonya Triplett, who has become a mentor and friend, and who inspired me to become a Physics major.   

I am actively involved the Society of Physics Students (SPS), a student group dedicated to public outreach, research, and student, faculty, and industry interaction where I’ve served as both SPS [JB1] President and Outreach Coordinator. I am also the vice-chair of Sigma Pi Sigma at USU. I am the National Associate Zone Councilor for Society of Physics Students Zone 15, which includes Utah, Idaho, Montana and Alberta, Canada. I am the chair of the PhysX committee—an organization to get girls excited about Physics—and in September, we will host an overnight Physics workshop for high school girls on USU campus.

I’ve begun taking courses in USU’s Technical Communication graduate program while I finish my B.S. in Physics and expect to begin formally matriculating grad credits in 2018. It is my hope and goal that I will inspire and educate the public, including the next generation of STEM students, as a science advocate and communicator.