Selaam Dollisso
Undergraduate Fellow
What has been one of your favorite parts of Tyson?
“One of my favorite parts was embedding with Rachel Penczykowski’s team. I didn’t really know what to expect, but everyday was really different because their team is new and a lot of it is based on experimentation. Being a part of that was very fun for me. I got involved right away and started doing tasks with them which was really surprising to me.”
Although Selaam thoroughly enjoyed her time doing plant biology fieldwork, she still wants to pursue environmental policy. This summer she’s been interviewing researchers, taking photos, and learning about ecological research from an outside perspective. Writing has always played a significant role in her life. Any style suits her, from poetry to long form, as long as she has the spark of inspiration.
“In one sense, it’s my most efficient and effective way of communicating. I would much rather have someone read what I wrote than convey it through speaking. That’s why I was drawn to poetry in high school because it is such a condensed form of language. I think storytelling is also great. When I don’t read a lot, I don’t produce good writing. You have much more of an imagination to draw from if you’re reading, that’s why I’m always recommending books to my sister.”