What we believe we can become is often shaped by the world we see around us. This is especially true for young children who1 becoming everything from astronauts to future world leaders. And it's one of the reasons why representation matters so much, For Asian American2 and Ph. D. candidate Elaine Shen, she had never3 herself to be an inspiration for future generations. That is until she received a(n)4 email from a third-grader in Minnesota who wanted to interview her for a class5 "I'm working on my big year-end project, " the heartwarming message6 . "I love biology. Idid some online research and found your website, I would like to ask if I could7 you. ' Needless to say, Shen was immediately8 by the email-so much so that she shared a screenshot of the child's inspiring message on Twitter. The post9 became popular, gaining more than 270, 000 likes and 1, 50010 since she first shared it. Many commenters were just as moved by the email as Shen was. " It's pretty amazing to witness that children are11 to achieve as much as you have done, " said one Twitter user, Other readers were12 of their ow experiences with young children growing up. "Representation matters, and it is13 the third-grader found his role model. '
Now that the story has touched thousands, Shen has a renewed motivation to 14 her Ph, D. and continue creating an environment of 15 for students within her field.
