Logo of Phuture Doctors, which includes a three-stemmed beaker.

Collaborator Spotlight: Meeting Diverse Scientists with Ph.uture D.octors

LabXchange convenes a community that believes in exposing young people to diverse scientists. Our collaborator Phuture Doctors is on a mission to change the face of science, one video at a time! We chatted with founder Stephanie Castillo to learn more.

What's one thing LabXchange users should know about your organization? Phuture Doctors started as a vision to bring more representation to the science YouTube space, to change the face of science one video at a time.

Featuring Diverse Scientists

Five people pose for the camera holding a check for $5,000.

What's one fun fact about your organization? Phuture Doctors was initially funded by winning student pitch competitions, which was supported and fostered through my university’s entrepreneur center. I raised over $14,000, which went towards camera equipment, software subscriptions, customer discovery, and professional development.

What is your organization's vision for science education? Growing up, kids typically want to be what they see, which can be limited by their environment and the grownups around them. With most classrooms having access to the internet, our vision is to use videos as a free tool for career exploration and meet STEM professionals from all walks of life.

A woman poses for the camera and holds a check for $1,500.

Scientific Inspirations

Who are your scientific inspirations? I really look up to other science communicators such as Vanessa Hill, Derek Muller, Destin Sandlin, and the OG - Bill Nye - who paved a path for what it looks like to talk about science online and on TV.

What is the first science experiment you remember performing? When I was in middle school, we had to participate in a science fair. My project was creating a tornado, where I learned about vortex and force. I remember feeling lame about my project as another student chose the same topic and made it cooler.

Two brown-haired women face each other in conversation.

Finding a Space to Thrive

Tell us what motivates you to continue creating your amazing content! I really found a space where I feel like I thrive. I didn’t feel like I fit in entirely doing hard science. With science communication and video producing, I am able to combine both my passions of photography and science together to create impactful media that stretches beyond the lab.

What's your favorite science joke/pun? A photon checks into a hotel and is asked if he needs any help with his luggage. The photon responds, "No, I'm traveling light!"

Do you want to check out Phuture Doctors resources on LabXchange? Visit their collaborator page.Who are the LabXchange content collaborators? View our growing list of content collaborators here and read all of our collaborator spotlights to date.

Written by
LabXchange team

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