The Beginning?

As I reflect upon the past 7 weeks, I realize just how fast time has progressed. I feel like the first two weeks I was thrown into the deep end, immersing myself in the exhausting cycle of learning and digesting the various novel laboratory techniques I’d been exposed to. As I finally found my bearings within this cycle, I noticed my vision had broadened and I could see much farther regarding why I was doing the steps I was and how they impacted the growth of my cells. And within these processes I felt supported by the indelible questions and answers that led to the development and creation of the tools I used. The culmination of question asking and answering: this was science. I realized the the purpose of researchers was not to bombastically pierce into the unknown but to elevate the current understanding piece by piece to leave no gaps in our knowledge. And this Summer I was given the opportunity to leave my mark on this foundation.
In the future, I take away with me not just the techniques I learned, but the approach to questioning I learned from my amazing mentor Torie this Summer. Asking the right questions and knowing which directions to pursue is one of the most critical abilities and although I’m just a neophyte at it, it’s a skill I’ll definitely continue practicing in my future.
For me, BSURF has opened a door to the possibilities of a career in research and although I know not where life will take me I see this experience as the beginning of something great to come.