Why Puerto Rico Shouldnt Write Their Own Science Essay Topic

Why Puerto Rico Shouldn't Write Their Own Science Essay TopicAs a Puerto Rican living in the U.S., I was very interested to see that the National Science Foundation is sponsoring an essay contest for Puerto Ricans to write about science. We've always loved the sciences; it's part of our culture. Indeed, it's often part of the DNA of Puerto Ricans.We pride ourselves on our scientific achievements, and it seems that more Puerto Ricans is choosing to study in this field. However, the criteria for the contest seem to have little to do with accomplishment. For example, some students may be asked to contribute a paragraph about how they came to their choice of career choice (I wonder how many people may come up with things like, 'When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut so badly.' ).Indeed, they may be asked to put themselves in the category of scientists (which seems kind of silly), or to describe how they came to use the term 'scientist' in their titles (I think it is kind of strang e). While students are encouraged to create an original topic, we have real concerns about these rules and the potential unintended consequences. If science is not considered an important part of a student's education, will that person never have a chance to choose a topic?We hope that this problem is not the case for Puerto Rico, but the truth is that science topics tend to dominate science writing. As a result, science topics usually become main-stream, which can cause a lot of people to dismiss them as useless. Because so many people love science, it's hard to get students to choose an alternative. But as a Puerto Rican in the U.S., I'd like to encourage my fellow Americans to give science a chance - even if it is just a brief vignette at the end of their science papers.Although Puerto Rico is a unique place, its history is largely rooted in the contributions of its residents. If a student decides to choose science as a topic, they are not choosing a career that has nothing to do with their own culture or heritage. They are choosing a topic that can make a difference in our world. It's not about the kind of career or the kind of job one will have, but the kind of impact one can have.We can't underestimate the importance of technology to Puerto Rico. This is particularly true for Puerto Ricans who works in the Information Technology industry (such as some of the scientists in the University of Puerto Rico). We're proud that our science graduates are creating opportunities for other Puerto Ricans, but we believe that it also helps that our students are taking part in the science essay contest.The problem is that this science essay contest is funded by the NIH and sponsored by the Puerto Rico Science and Technology Park, which is a public-private partnership between the government and a private company. Because of this close relationship, it is no surprise that the criteria seem so arbitrary. Unfortunately, the lack of transparency in how the criteria were for mulated could lead some to believe that science and technology will always be secondary, but this couldn't be further from the truth.We believe that science and technology can make a difference, but we are most excited to see how students will develop a new perspective for Puerto Rico when it comes to helping to define its future. Hopefully, the quality science essay will continue to be an integral part of a student's education.