Young scientist’s story about grades inspires many, even Google CEO Sundar Pichai couldn't stop himself from praising

Sarafina Nance would have never thought in her dreams that her view about grades and education will inspire thousands.

Young scientist’s story about grades inspires many, even Google CEO Sundar Pichai couldn't stop himself from praising 

Nance, a young scholar tweeted how she once got zero in a quantum physics exam which meant she had to consider quitting physics but later doing Ph.D. in the very same subject. 

“4 years ago I got a 0 on a quantum physics exam. i met with my professor fearing i needed to change my major & quit physics. today, i’m in a top tier astrophysics Ph.D. program & published 2 papers,” Nance, a 26-year-old astrophysicist who says she researches supernovae, wrote.

“STEM is hard for everyone—grades don’t mean you’re not good enough to do it,” she wrote.

4 years ago I got a 0 on a quantum physics exam. i met with my professor fearing i needed to change my major & quit physics. today, i’m in a top tier astrophysics Ph.D program & published 2 papers.

STEM is hard for everyone—grades don’t mean you’re not good enough to do it.

— Sarafina Nance (@starstrickenSF) November 20, 2019

While people couldn't stop praising Nance for her determination and thoughts about grades & education, she got a special message from Google CEO Sundar Pichai.  

"Well said and so inspiring!" wrote 'inspired' Pichai, quoting the tweet. "Thank you so much!!! This means the world!!," Nance replied.

Well said and so inspiring! https://t.co/qHBwdv3fmS

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) November 21, 2019

thank you so much!!! this means the world!!

— Sarafina Nance (@starstrickenSF) November 21, 2019

Her tweet has received almost 80,000 'likes' in a day and encouraging messages from all over the world. 

My family couldn't afford SAT prep, I didn't do so well the first time. I kept at it. I became the first in my family to go to college. I decided to triple major. My advisor said "no." I triple majored in 4 years. I now teach compsci to students who can't afford to go to college. https://t.co/gEvn7v7ZZg

— Melody Serra (@MelRSerra) November 22, 2019

My family couldn't afford SAT prep, I didn't do so well the first time. I kept at it. I became the first in my family to go to college. I decided to triple major. My advisor said "no." I triple majored in 4 years. I now teach compsci to students who can't afford to go to college. https://t.co/gEvn7v7ZZg

— Melody Serra (@MelRSerra) November 22, 2019

Got a 2.4 GPA my first semester in college. Thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for engineering. Today I’ve landing two spacecraft on Mars, and designing one for the moon.

STEM is hard for everyone. Grades ultimately aren’t what matters. Curiosity and persistence matter.

— Ben Cichy (@bencichy) November 22, 2019

Never got a top grade in first 2 years of engineering. Failed design twice. Profs were semi helpful; friends were the decisive support.

Aced my graduation thesis, went to @ESA, now project manager for space systems, co-filed a patent. Only you know what you really can do.

— Max Lange (@Rocketist) November 21, 2019

The fact that you got a 0 and didn't quit means so so so much more for being a scientist than if you got a 100! 

— Maryam Zaringhalam, PhD (@webmz_) November 21, 2019

I earned <on my first college physics exam and was urged to leave the major to do "something easier." I'm now a full professor of seismology, and a damned more supportive advisor than I ever had.

There's a lot of failure en route to success. Normalize it.

— Jackie Caplan-Auerbach (@geophysichick) November 22, 2019

Sarafina Nance is doing a Ph.D. in astrophysics at one of the top institutions in the world, the University of California, Berkeley. The 26-year-old astrophysicist is researching supernovae.