Reetam Das is master’s student in the Mechanical Engineering department at Iowa State University (ISU). Reetam was recently awarded a fellowship by the Trinect program, a program run by ISU in partnership with Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Trinect program aims to support 3^rd to 5^th grade elementary school teachers and student teachers to inspire K-12 students to take up a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As a Trinect fellow, Reetam will act as a resident engineer in a triad with a student teacher in training and a cooperating teacher to help plan and support the enhanced learning of math and science and to act as a role model in the field. In the process of applying for this fellowship, Reetam worked with Jenny, a CCE Writing Consultant, to build his application essay. Reetam says:

“Jenny assisted me in structuring the essay in a manner that helped me convey my thoughts in a more impactful and concise manner. Her input helped me drastically improve the quality of my work and that helped me immensely to secure this fellowship. In my opinion, the CCE is a very valuable resource available to the students of ISU and I look forward to working with the writing consultants in the future as well.”