Throughout the school year, Nebraska Honors students host semester-long after-school clubs in the community. Through the program, undergraduate students get paid, experiential learning opportunities that help them develop specific skills while meeting a community need.
Rohan Tatineni, a biochemistry major who co-leads a STEM club at a local elementary school with civil engineering major Spencer Knight, discussed the experience with the university.
How would you explain Honors Afterschool Clubs to someone that's never heard of it?
Afterschool Clubs are an amazing way to demonstrate your interest in a particular topic and get to share that joy with others. Through the Honors Program, anyone can get matched with an underserved school site near UNL. They can then lead a club over virtually any topic they want for a semester with a partner.
Talk about why you decided to apply to Nebraska, and specifically go into STEM.
I applied to UNL because I was already quite familiar with Lincoln as I have been here since I was in kindergarten. My parents are already here, and the tuition was low compared to other out-of-state schools. In addition, I knew that UNL had a solid biochemistry program, so coming here was an easy decision. I have always been fascinated by science growing up, especially the weather and biology. This interest has led me to challenge myself further through difficult courses in high school and even major in biochemistry.
What is your favorite part about participating in Honors Afterschool Clubs?
My favorite part about participating Honors Afterschool Clubs is the planning and execution of the lesson plans. Having so much flexibility with what we can teach our students allows for so much fun while planning. In addition, leading a lesson plan can be scary, but it is so rewarding. Allowing kids to experience the fun of STEM, while hopefully sparking a lifelong interest in STEM makes participating in Honors Afterschool Club worth it. For instance, seeing how excited our students get when they participate in an experiment such as Pepsi and mentos or walking water makes it all worth it.
Rohan Tatineni in a classroom with a student.
Explain the process you went through to create the curriculum for your club.
Spencer and I were assigned as partners. We both had different ideas for our club that were quite similar. We discussed possible plans for the clubs and decided to focus on a STEM club with two distinct halves in our club. Science would be during the first half and would consist of various fun experiments that apply various science concepts. We would also focus on the scientific method and thinking like a scientist. The second half would be over engineering and utilize a Makerspace kit with fun activities like rubber band racers. After making this plan, we came up with experiments for the science part and Makerspace activities for the engineering part. Then we focused on creating a PowerPoint to aid in teaching our students concepts behind the experiment or activity.
What impact do you hope to make on the students you're working with?
I hope our students get to see how fascinating STEM can be. I understand that they will likely not remember the finer details of each lesson; however, I hope that they can experience the joys of science and use that to develop a lifelong love for STEM.
What or who inspires or motivates you?
My parents have instilled a hard-working mentality that keeps me going. In addition, my family's support has always been vital in pushing me forward. Also, the ability to make an impact keeps me going as I know that through hard work, I can make a difference.
Who has impacted your time at Nebraska?
Virtually everyone I met at UNL. I have made so many different connections with other students and faculty that have made an impact on my time at UNL. All these interactions have helped me follow the path I am currently on and keep me going.
Rohan Tatineni in a classroom with Spencer Knight and students.
How will your involvement in teaching youth about STEM topics help you in the future?
I would say I tend to be more introverted. As a result, putting myself in this position to lead a club of students is daunting. However, participating in Honors Afterschool Clubs has been a rewarding experience. I have learned the importance of patience, improvisation and confidence. These skills will help me as I go on to my future schooling/career. For instance, having patience is a vital skill, especially when working with others. Improvision will always be a useful trait to have. Finally, confidence will help me engage with others better. All these traits I have learned through this experience will be vital to success in the future.
What is one piece of advice you would give a student looking to give back to their community?
I would first brainstorm different ways you could give back to the community or ask advisers and check out the weekly emails from your major (ex. Biochemistry Mid-Week Update) for opportunities. It is important to find something you are interested in because if you feel forced to give back, then you will never have fun or be truly invested in it. Then I would go for it. If you don't like the opportunity, you can always leave. If you never try, then you will never know its potential.
What is something you've learned that will stick with you after you graduate?
How many ways that you make an impact. There are simple ways such as holding open a door for someone or complimenting someone or you could do something like Honors Afterschool Clubs to directly make an impact on someone's life. Through UNL, I have truly learned the power of making an impact and this will stick with me forever.
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
I hope to attend medical school and eventually become a doctor. I have always been fascinated by the human body and health care. As of now, I am unsure of what type of doctor I want to be.
