Not the end

There’s been so much going on these past few weeks that it’s hard to sum it all up into words.

But through the insightful faculty talks, new friendships, and of course deeply involved lab experience, I can definitely say that this was an unforgettable summer.

Week 1, I felt like a “lost little lamb”, suddenly immersed in a new environment. It seemed like the more papers I read, the more I realized there was so much more I didn’t know. However, into week 5, when I finished my pilot and started my big experiment, I realized that a lot had already sunk in as I prepared my chalk talk. Now, week 8, everything I’ve done, from material preparation to analyzing my results, is coming together into a poster presentation…and I feel so proud to have something I can call my own.

Although I have not determined whether or not I want to be a researcher, my ideal career now has aspects that closely resemble one. I don’t want a desk job, but one where I can be on my feet, doing something potentially different everyday. I want the access my creativity and design/discover something new, something I can call my own. And most importantly, I want to be working in something that I’m really passionate about, to the point where my face lights up when I’m talking about it (as I’ve seen from the faculty talks).

Like I mentioned in my previous post, my view on science has definitely broadened, because now I’m not just seeing the “facts” printed in a textbook, but I witnessing it being brought to life and put to work. I’m witnessing the uncertainty, the speculations, the mistakes, the weird results we can’t explain but they encourage us to search more. In that way, it feels like I’m witnessing life play out before me, because there’s change, discovery, frustrations, and mistakes all in just one project. It was through this summer that I realize this, and seeing this whole new side has made me love science even more.

Thank you to the wonderful faculty for sharing your passions this summer. Thank you to my roommate and other fellows who I can now happily call friends. Thank you to my mentors Dr. Kathleen Donohue and Brianne Edwards for your time leading this “lost little lamb” around.

But of course, this shall not be the end. On to more science, more learning,

more adventures~

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