小黄书

In honor of Pride Month, we鈥檙e sharing the voices, experiences and achievements of three LGBTQ+ alumni of 小黄书 programs. They share insights into their current work, how their identities have shaped their paths, and their advice for the next generation. Read on to hear directly from them about what Pride means in the context of their careers and communities.

Ahmad Perez
(STS 2019)

What are you up to right now?

I鈥檓 currently focused on leading , a grassroots organization I founded to connect, inform and empower communities across Long Island. We鈥檝e built digital tools and storytelling platforms that have reached hundreds of thousands of residents 鈥� helping people stay informed, get involved and see themselves as part of the solution. Whether it鈥檚 through town halls, local campaigns or community mapping tools, our goal is to make civic engagement more accessible and meaningful for everyday people. I鈥檓 also continuing to work in environmental justice, supporting projects that are driven by and for frontline communities.

You were recently part of the Biden Administration. What was your role there?

I served as a Special Advisor for Implementation and Climate Justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the time of my appointment, I was just 21 years old, making me one of the youngest White House appointees in the EPA’s history. My role focused on helping implement key elements of the Inflation Reduction Act and ensuring that the benefits of federal climate investments reached the communities that needed them most. It was an incredible experience to bring a youth and community-grounded perspective into high-level policymaking.

Has your experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

Yes, absolutely. Being LGBTQ+ has taught me to approach systems with a critical lens and a deep sense of empathy. It鈥檚 made me more aware of who is included鈥攁nd who is often left out鈥攚hen science is applied in the real world. That perspective has pushed me to ask harder questions and to always consider the human impact behind the data. It鈥檚 also made me more committed to ensuring that solutions are shaped by the people most affected, not just those with the most credentials.

What kinds of support (whether from peers, mentors or teachers) have made a difference for you in school and in your career?

Mentorship and community didn鈥檛 just guide my path鈥攖hey saved it. In high school, I was a kid from Brentwood, New York, who often felt like I didn鈥檛 belong in the rooms where big decisions were made, but I had teachers who looked past my self-doubt and told me I was capable of more. They pushed me to take risks鈥攍ike applying to national science competitions like the Science Talent Search鈥攅ven when I didn鈥檛 see myself as someone who could win.

Later, I found mentors who didn鈥檛 just teach me, they opened doors and walked beside me through them. And just as powerfully, I had friends and peers who reminded me that staying rooted in where I came from wasn鈥檛 a limitation鈥攊t was my superpower.
Every step I鈥檝e taken was possible because someone believed in me before I believed in myself. That kind of support is everything.

What would you say to a LGBTQ+ student who is interested in STEM but unsure if they belong?

You belong鈥攁nd not just as an observer, but as a leader and innovator. Your perspective is valuable precisely because it鈥檚 different. STEM is about solving complex problems, and that takes people who can think outside the box, challenge assumptions and bring empathy into the process. If you鈥檙e questioning whether there鈥檚 space for you in this field, let me say clearly: there is. And if you can鈥檛 find that space, don鈥檛 be afraid to build it.

Eleanor Sigrest
(BCM 2016,ISEF 2020, STS 2021)

You just graduated from Stanford. What鈥檚 next for you?

While I technically walked at my graduation ceremony, I still have one more quarter left to finish both my bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees. When I started at Stanford, I set a goal to complete the coterminal program and graduate in about four years so I could be on track for the astronaut application cycle, which requires a minimum of a master鈥檚 and four years of experience. By the time the next round opens in 2028, I鈥檒l be qualified and ready to go!

What research are you working on now?

I鈥檓 continuing my research on microgravity slosh mitigation. After flying an initial experiment for my STS research project, I launched two follow-up experiments with the Blue Origin, an American space technology company. One flight was NS-23, which enabled me to see how well my payload survived under anomalous conditions. The second flight made it to suborbital altitude, and I was able to collect about three minutes of pure microgravity data. Analyzing that data raised some new questions about the material properties of the tank coatings I used, so I鈥檝e been diving deeper into that side of the problem.

Has your experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

Definitely. Being queer taught me early on how to navigate spaces where I didn鈥檛 feel seen, and that鈥檚 surprisingly similar to how I鈥檝e felt in many research spaces. I鈥檓 constantly carving out my own path, questioning the status quo and learning how to advocate for ideas that aren鈥檛 always expected.

What kinds of support (whether from peers, mentors or teachers) have made a difference for you in school and in your career?

The most meaningful support I found didn鈥檛 come from official meetings or programs, but from small, everyday interactions, especially with other queer folks. Finding people I connect with in unexpected spaces is powerful, and getting to share those experiences builds a kind of resilience that鈥檚 hard to teach any other way.

What would you say to an LGBTQ+ student who is interested in STEM but unsure if they belong?

You absolutely belong here. The problem is that societal systems weren鈥檛 built with queer people in mind, and in lots of cases, built against you. This goes for more than just the LGBTQIA+ community. While it is uncomfortable, especially at first, I try and remind myself that change often starts with discomfort. Your perspective is part of what science needs to grow.

Jo S.
(BCM 2021, ISEF 2022鈥�2025)

Can you tell me about your current research and what excites you most about it?

I am currently working with the painted lady butterfly to see how blue light impacts their development. I love my research because it鈥檚 something that seems so small in passing but snowballs into something much greater! From insects to crops to farms to countries, people tend to underestimate just how much even a small action impacts the world.

You are a high school senior. Where are you heading to college next year and what do you plan to study? Do you plan on continuing your research?聽

I鈥檓 going to the University of California, Davis for entomology! I plan on continuing my research, and I鈥檓 hoping I can expand my research and get my ideas applied in order to help the environment and others.

Has your experience as a LGBTQ+ student shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

It has. Science kind of became the place I turned to when I had no one else: when I talked about research and data it didn鈥檛 matter how anyone else saw me. My whole life, I was told all of the things I couldn鈥檛 do, but science always encouraged me to do the impossible. It was freeing. I wasn鈥檛 just 鈥渟ome girl鈥� instead I was a man who could look into the eyes of other men, women and people around me as an equal. I know that in the future I will never be 鈥楳s. or Mrs.鈥� and instead I will be the Dr. I was always meant to be.

What would you say to another young LGBTQ+ student who is interested in STEM but unsure if they belong?聽

Do not give up. Your vision and ideas are worth more than the doubts that plague them. So many people do not want to hear your voice, but they need to: no one wanted to listen to when he advised surgeons to wash their hands and now it鈥檚 that very thought that saves so many lives. You aren鈥檛 always going to feel like a true scientist, but you are, and if someone doesn鈥檛 want to respect you, then they don鈥檛 deserve your brilliance.