One Step Closer to My Dreams Thanks to Caterpillars

There has been a lot of change for me lately: moving from west campus to east campus, being away from home (and thus away from my amazing cat, Oreo) for the summer AND fall semester, working through a long-distance relationship for these next couple months, and finally getting experience in a research lab for the first time. Sometimes I become sad thinking about all of that distance, but then I remind myself of all of the new people I am meeting this summer and all of my friends that I can continue to see and hang out with when I’m down. I remind myself that, every time I step into my new lab, I am one step closer to actually obtaining my dream job, and I know that I am very lucky to be able to make such a statement of comfort.

I have always loved animals, but being a veterinarian was not in the cards for me. Over the years, my desire to combine my love for animals and learning has multiplied, so entering the research industry seemed to make the most sense to me. This summer I will be working in the Nijhout Lab, where we’re studying growth of wings developing inside caterpillars. I have not met everyone yet, but the people I have met so far are very kind and welcoming. I was afraid of my first caterpillar dissections, but with Dr. Nijhout’s help, I was finally able to remove the imaginal discs from each side of the insect (unfortunately, I tore some of them). I can’t wait to learn more lab techniques and to assist this lab team with their goals. My main goal for this summer is to make new connections and get lots of hands-on experience in the lab!

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