Jennifer Sanchez

"The primary language spoken in my house is Spanish, so trying to translate gravitational wave science has been challenging. Often when I explain my role in LIGO, the sheer look of enthusiasm on my mom’s face makes me feel lucky to be a part of such a significant scientific endeavor. As a first-generation college student and American, I thought my college career seemed to be limited. For instance, I was initially a biology major because that was the only major my parents were aware of. It was Star Trek's Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager, Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres, and ex-Borg Seven of Nine that ultimately helped me in my decision to study astrophysics. I think I was just really excited to see so many women in STEM play leading roles. I was not familiar with that idea. I particularly connected with B’Elanna Torres, a half-Klingon, half-human chief engineer. What I loved most about B’Elanna was how she never failed to defy the stereotypes of what it means to be a woman. She was exactly the role model I needed beginning my first year in college studying in a male-dominated field. I think it was a bit surreal to see B’Elanna play a role that essentially reflected mine. B’Elanna’s Klingon heritage allowed her to be one of the unique characters on the show. My parents came to the United States from Mexico before I was born. Like many, I was caught between two cultural worlds, and it was tough growing up. In the first season of Voyager, B’Elanna was separated into two different characters: her Klingon and human self. The audience is able to visualize her daily internal conflicts. It just mirrored real struggles that many of us experience on a daily basis."

Jennifer Sanchez is an undergraduate senior at California State University, Fullerton. Jennifer simulates and visualizes high spinning black hole-neutron star mergers, and her newest project has involved contributing to the development of SpECTRE, a next-generation code for simulating gravity. She loves surfing or swimming at the beach, painting, and reading books (She was recently gifted Frances H. Burnett's The Secret Garden and is trying to finish that). She also enjoys listening to Radiohead, The Strokes, The Smiths, and The Velvet Underground. You can follow Jennifer on Instagram at @jekneekins.