Today we get to introduce another one of Those Nerdy Girls, Maggie Hayes.
Maggie is our Spanish language science communications intern, and she helps with operations, translation, and community engagement on our Spanish-language channel, Querida Pandemia.
Maggie is a UW-Madison undergraduate majoring in Spanish and Sociology with a certificate in Chicana and Latina Studies. She was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she’s been speaking Spanish since she was 7 years old.
Maggie plans to graduate in 2024. After her graduation, she hopes to work at the US-Mexico border in humanitarian efforts.
❇️ What do you miss from before the pandemic?
I miss not having to worry about any small illness such as a simple cold being tied to a more serious condition, aka COVID! I miss when you could cough in public or have a runny nose and not have to face judgment from your peers because they think you might infect them with COVID. Life was much more simple and less stressful:)
❇️ What do you not miss at all?
I do not miss having to attend all of my meetings and events in person ALL THE TIME. People are so busy these days, and most of the time it is much easier to move meetings to Zoom for convenience. I think remote meetings should have been used more before the pandemic, but I will say I am definitely grateful that they are commonly used today.
❇️ What has been a turning point for you over these last two years?
A big turning point for me happened just a month after the Pandemic began. Having to stay home from school with nothing to do forced me to find things that truly bring me a lot of joy so that I could distract myself from the world’s stress and chaos. I gained a lot of independence and learned a lot about myself by spending so much time alone (despite how lonely it was, being as I am a very social person.) I don’t think I would be the same person I am today if it weren’t for those long months of quarantine.
❇️ What is your superpower?
I find it easy to talk to anyone and put myself out there because you never know what relationships you’re missing out on by not speaking up! I’ve met my best friends from just being bold and making myself vulnerable in social situations.
❇️ What led you to intern with Querida Pandemia?
I love working with a driven and strong group of women who are so knowledgeable in their field. Before taking on this job I knew I would enjoy it because I could tell how close-knit the community was and how welcoming and understanding everyone seemed to be. I also wanted to know more about the pandemic and the scientific aspect of COVID because there is so much misinformation out there and I wanted to know the best way to navigate the pandemic.
❇️ Fun fact: Maggie plays piano and sings, too!
Thank you so much Maggie!
Love, Those Nerdy Girls and all our readers.
ps. Maggie is one of the very few nerdy girls who actually gets paid for her work here. If you want to help us pay Maggie and our other interns, feel free to head on over to our website and make a donation! www.dearpandemic.org.
Follow Maggie on Instagram @maggiehayes15
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chican@ & Latin@ Studies (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
