I started this summer diving in at the deep end with my first lab meeting, where I was taken aback by how much I didn’t know, but excited to begin. Fast forward to my last lab meeting of this summer, and I can’t believe how much I have learned in 8 weeks. At this meeting, I was presenting my work from this summer and I finally began to keep up with (some) of the conversation.
My summer research experience has definitely surpassed my expectations as I have learned more than I could have ever imagined. I have finally got a sense of the literature in my field and worked with my lab mates to learn more about the focus of the lab. I have also learned many new technical skills including western blot analysis and genotyping.
I realized that I want to continue scientific research and thrilled that I will be continuing this project with this lab in the fall. I am very grateful for my lab mates and mentors who helped me develop a passion for what I am studying. Their support and encouragement really pushed me to to be more dedicated to this experience.
In addition, I am so thankful for the bonds and connections I formed with the BSURF community. We had a lot of fun times exploring Durham or even just hanging out at Swift. As a whole, I feel that this summer has been one of immense growth and I am excited to continue navigating this exciting world of science.
