It is 2008 and there she was, standing on a subway platform, in Manhattan waiting for her train, not to board it… but to jump in front of it. A young and clueless version of herself, fresh out of family court, feeling tired and very much defeated after going in convinced that her days of physical, mental, financial, and sexual abuse were over. She had absolutely no idea who she was, born and raised in the Dominican Republic with complete confusion over her “duties" as a woman—under the boot of an extremely patriarchal upbringing.
This is how she ended up in a dangerously toxic marriage at a very young age, and by walking away, she eventually had to live on the streets of NYC. The very core of who she is has been connected to science, even before she knew what science actually was. She always craved a deeper understanding of the world around her, this was a need which was never satisfied growing up and it actually became a huge source of anxiety for her. She never had exposure to science or proper education under any capacity, so there was no way for her to know that her passion had a name.
She used to be obsessed with knowing the “how and why” of everything, and as cliché as it probably sounds, she always wanted to go into space. The universe (which to her consisted of the Moon and the Sun at the time) had always been a source of peace in her life; she was a loner by choice and many nights the Moon was her best friend. She always wanted to study the universe, but she had no idea that such a thing could be done—let alone by someone like her, or that women were allowed to do it.
To make this part short, when she was 17 years old (living in the US) she had basically taught herself English, moved on from an extremely underserved high school, figured out how to get a GED, and after experiencing seemingly endless biases because of it, she set out to try to meet her goals. The lack of mentoring and guidance did not make things any easier over the following years, but she was finally leaving behind spousal abuse toxic relationships, poverty, and homelessness.
Navigating many spaces she wished to occupy, she realized the complete lack of awareness many people have about the fact that not everyone is born into good circumstances, has access to proper education, or is able to follow what they call “traditional paths" in life. There are some individuals who, like Rose, have to rely on survival to even dare to dream-this enables a lot of exclusion in the sciences and everyday life.
These days she owns her story by being unapologetically vocal about her experiences, and is determined to challenge whatever stereotypes she faces when chasing her goals by self-advocating. In 2017 while recovering from an accident, she repurposed an old and unused Twitter account to entertain herself, and in this process, she realized social media could be a great tool for visibility and outreach.This "rebellious and non-traditional" pursuit of her autonomy has made her gain some notoriety in certain groups, which can be very difficult and attract a lot of unwarranted negativity at times, but it’s also an opportunity to help others who come from similar situations.
Now she lives her life by quotes like "It is not about who's going to let me, it's about who's going to stop me." It has been an exhausting journey, but she cannot say she regrets it. Things like family, love, support, mentoring, and access to things like education can easily be taken for granted by those who always had them. Sometimes you have to become the person you needed when you were younger, and that is what Rose is trying to do every day of her life.
If you enjoyed Rose's story and want to connect with her, you can find her here:
Twitter: @_Astro_Nerd_
IG: @_astro_nerd_
Website: http://rosedf.net
Rose is currently with ASU Physics working with The Jennifer DiChiara Literary Agency, working on a creative non-fiction work about a little Dominican girl who talks to the Moon.
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