someone who saw one (1) rock as a child and decided it doesn’t get any better than this.
a story about lisette elena melendez.
the basics.
Name: Lisette E. Melendez (she/they)
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Nationality: Ecuadorian
Interests: reading, tote bags, being overdressed, entomology, interior and graphic design, iSpy Treasure Hunt (2001)
The Best Spider-Man: Tom Holland (but I also loved ‘Into the Spiderverse’!)
the early years.
It all began with a rock. It was furthered by a worn copy of the Smithsonian Handbook on Rocks and Minerals. Now, TSA hates me for all the rocks in my carry-on.
Bio.
Hi! My name is Lisette, and I’m an aspiring planetary geologist. All my life, there have been small signs of my future: the ever-present rocks in my pockets as a kid and how my favorite class topics in middle school always involved weathering, erosion, and their resulting geological formations. However, while I was growing up, all of the scientists in our textbooks were white men; as a queer person of color, I never saw myself reflected in a scientific capacity. It wasn’t until the end of my first year at university where I met Dr. Sheffield, the first geologist who was a woman that I had ever encountered. She showed me that it was possible to spend the rest of my life studying what I was most passionate about: geology. That very day, I went and changed my major, and I haven’t looked back since. That is why representation and diversity in STEM spaces is so monumental for me: it changed my life, and I hope I can spend my career inspiring others to pursue their passions as well.
Artwork: ‘Cody Formation’ (2021) by Roxy Paine. Wood, urethane, epoxy, lacquer, oil paint. 91.4 x 152.4 x 35.6 cm.
“In our own way, we are all Spider-Man.”
— MJ, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse