My name is Tahira McIntosh and I am majoring in Environmental Engineering. I will be a sophomore this year. I graduated from Niceville High school. My favorite class at UCF is Chemistry because I love science and I feel that it relates to my major. My favorite professor so far has been Alex York (Excel Pre‐calculus) because he is really laid back and helpful. I wanted to get involved with the GEMS program because I think it is such a great way to help girls prosper in STEM majors. Personally, I have gained a lot from being a mentee and I feel that I can offer a lot as a mentor now. I expect that the relationships I build with my mentees will help all of us grow socially and academically and that by the end of the year my mentees will feel more confident in their majors. The best advice I can offer to freshmen is to learn how to prioritize and plan early in the year because being away from home for the first time makes time management so much more difficult. I struggled with learning to balance studying along with reading, hanging out with friends, and being involved in clubs (i.e. SEE). I can't wait to meet and get to know you all!