My final blog post. Wow.
I went from having not ever used a pipette to using all sorts of lab equipment, talking about antifungal targeting and gene phenotypes, and conversing with post docs about Cryptococcus! I’ve been introduced to the science world this summer, and with so many resources and tools that have helped me along the way, I just feel extremely thankful to have been apart of such a generous program. I now feel like an insider.
I think back to the start of it when I was feeling really worried about my lack of experience and limited knowledge. It feels like so long ago. Working in the lab made me realize how much of science is a collaborative effort. There’s mentors, peers, and journals to turn to. And because there’s bound to be an area you’re not the most confident in, it’s expected you will receive help and sometimes even give help yourself. One thing I always hear is that everyone is still always learning, even having been in the field for 20+ years. It’s just made me have so much to look forward to in terms of what more I will be exposed to in the coming years and the people and perspectives I will be given the opportunity to see and hear.
This little, enriching taste of what it’s like to work in the lab has enabled me to confirm that this line of work- asking questions and discovering more about life on Earth little by little- is exactly what I want to do. Seriously identifying this passion has been another substantial piece to my enjoyment this summer. I can literally envision myself in a hospital lab working in micro and running tests on patients’ samples. So, again, I want to say that I really enjoyed myself this summer and am extremely thankful to Dr. Harrell and Dr. Grunwald for providing me with this opportunity. Certainty feels really good.