Hi, I’m Zara Fatima
Social Politician.

My lesson was centered on teaching scientific inquiry and prototyping through water rockets. I aimed to give my students a taste of the research mindset I have come to enjoy so much. I gave them a question they didn’t have an answer to: how can they improve the water rocket? They created a hypothesis, theorizing that some modification in design will create a change in rocket performance. Then, they experimented, launching the rocket to test their hypothesis. They observed the experiment, and decided what they would do with the results. I hope, by giving the students a taste of hands-on scientific inquiry, I inspired them to see how they are capable of pursuing exciting science. Biking across the country to teach these students showed them how much I valued getting to work with them. They’d ask, “You biked all the way across the country to teach us?” to which I resoundingly answered, “Yes!”

In the astrophysics program, students determine the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid using data they personally collect. To achieve that goal, students learn advanced math, programming, and astrophysics, attending six hours of lectures a day. I personally attended SSP in high school. SSP was my first time experiencing an academically intensive environment; it inspired me to apply to Stanford. Returning to staff the program that shaped my life trajectory was incredibly meaningful. Over the summer, I helped explain difficult astrophysics concepts to the students. I supported their learning, sitting with a student sometimes for an hour to guide them through a tricky physics problem. I counseled students through their first experience in such an academically challenging environment. I lived in the dorms, coordinating social events, encouraging work-life balance, and creating a positive dorm community. I also willingly mentored the students. I told them about my journey through engineering and of the importance of collaborating with others, among many other meaningful conversations over late-night asteroid observation sessions.