In school, I am part of the track and field team. The thing I love about track is the nonlinear and often fluctuating pattern of growth, giving the sport a level of depth and requiring powerful dedication to improve. However, last spring, due to a recurring injury in my hips, I played volleyball for a season to give my hips time to heal. I am also a leader at the Christian Fellowship Club at my school. As for Honors Societies, I am in NEHS and Rho Kappa. In NEHS, I am a leader of a team project that is working on running a Reading Olympics Escape Room in elementary schools as a means of fostering literacy and nurturing curiosity among elementary school children. For Rho Kappa, I am pioneering another project that honors our nation’s veterans with a short film that includes interviews with veterans who attended my school and their families.
Alright, about today’s TRIP, it was SO fun and SO engaging. The icebreaker at the beginning was helpful for, well, breaking the ice, and it got pretty funny/embarrassing when I had to ask the same person like 5 times if a random fact on the icebreaker sheet was true or not. I’m glad I got to meet a wonderful community of like-minded peers who are passionate and curious about science and research. I’m also glad I met our kind and resourceful instructors Dr. Leystra, Dr. Purdy, Mr. Cozonne, and Anoosha. All of them were more than happy to help me whenever I had questions. As for what we learned today, we were taught how to make solutions with a micropipette, which I had never used before. We were also taught the math required to calculate the varying concentrations and amounts of solutions. I found this exercise to be interesting as it was new but built on a lot of the math I had already learned in Honors and AP Chemistry. In addition, the mix of theory and hands-on activity was readily apparent and made the experience so much more fun and so much more different than school. Lastly, we were taught to make food for the flies, which I thought was the most fun as it marked the start of the kickoff experiment. I chose to investigate the effect of soap-induced intestinal inflammation on fly motility and the possible protective effect of Vitamin D3. To set up the experiment, I made four vials of fly food (control, drug only, stressor only, and drug and stressor). This type of hands-on lab research also struck me as very different from the research I had done over the summer investigating antimicrobial resistance in pathogens found in American cattle, in which using complex mathematical models, namely principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, dendrograms, etc., I analyzed NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) Pathogen Detection Isolates Browser (NPDIB) data to discover trends of resistance. Offering a view on a whole new facet of research, TRIP really hooked me. Sadly, this was the conclusion of our first day of TRIP. But on the bright side, I got to meet some cool people and experience new scientific techniques. I can just tell that this TRIP will be a fun, stimulating, and enriching experience.
Until next time.
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Hello! My name is Mirai (Mimi) Kambayashi, I am a junior at Conestoga High School. My favorite aspects of science are its investigative nature, as well as the fact that it is an expanding body of knowledge. I knew TRIP would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn how to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge that I so enjoy. I joined TRIP not only for its opportunities but also for the community that is provided there. Having the opportunity to work in a lab with fellow students seemed so exciting, and I was eager to get involved.
Today was the first day of TRIP. Before any of the fly stuff, we introduced ourselves and got to know the names of our peers. Even though it was the first time I stepped into the lab I learned a lot, like how to prepare fly food, calculate serial dilutions, and the fact that Dr. Purdy has “a weird obsession with BBC America’s Cop shows”. After learning so much on the first day, I am looking forward to the upcoming sessions.
Hello! My name is Sophia Rajan and I’m currently a junior at William Tennent High School. I’m very excited to be a part of TRIP! I’ve always had a desire to pursue a career in the medical field that specializes in pediatric care, however schooling for this type of career requires a lot of work in labs. This is a subject I have little experience in, so when I heard about the TRIP program, I jumped at the opportunity. When researching this program, I was fascinated by the possibility of conducting my own research and gaining lab experience. In school, I’m involved in many clubs and organizations such as student government, various national honor societies, and community service organizations. I am also an officer for the Science National Honor Society. Outside of school, I spend countless hours in dance classes and spending time with my friends and family. I’ve been a dancer for over eight years. I stay connected to my Indian culture by participating in a classical form of dance in South India called Bharatanatyam. I have also explored various other styles of dance such as hip hop, contemporary, and jazz. My dancing has allowed me to raise money for cancer research and support charities including Artists Helping Artists. Dance has also allowed me to travel across the country and visit exciting destinations such as Disney World. In our first session of TRIP, we completed tasks on lab safety, learned how to use micropipettes, and mixed fly food in vials. We created vials with our individual research questions in mind. My research questions aimed to discover the effects of Ginkgo Biloba and head trauma on anxiety. I had to create a solution with an exact concentration of Ginkgo Biloba to mix in the vials of the experiment group. We ended the session by receiving a vial of flies to take home and observe for the week. I’m very excited and looking forward to learning more in the coming sessions!
Hi! I’m Isabel Kim, a current senior at Wissahickon High School, who’s very excited to be a part of TRIP’24@WTHS this year! The most important thing to know about me is that I have a fascination with the brain. More than anything, I want to understand how millions of infinitely small molecular interactions create something as complex as human consciousness. Ultimately, I am driven to explore the fascinating world of neuropharmacology. In the past, I’ve undertaken projects focusing on ketamine’s function as an antidepressant. It’s groundbreaking treatments for diseases like depression and PTSD that fuel my excitement for research and lead me to ultimately hope to pursue drug research and development. I applied to TRIP with the primary objective of gaining a better grasp of designing my own experiments. Until now, I have done a lot of work behind a computer screen, but not much with my own hands. In my free time, I love to play the piano (my favorite composers are Schubert and Liszt :)), cook and bake. Although I still somehow suck at baking after around 10 or so years. I also love to garden, last year I spent way too much of my paycheck on new peony tubers. Sure, my wallet totally hated me, but by June it was so nice to see tiny puffs of pink lining my doorstep. If I’m not at school or work, you can most likely find me at home doing my best to make my surroundings peaceful and productive. Even though I can be quite clumsy at times, overall, I hope to bring the same sense of calm to the lab.
I’m thrilled to be a part of the TRIP community after a wonderful first day in the lab. I anticipate a great semester!
We had our first major donation drive in December where we were able to donate over 30 crochet hats and $250 worth of toys to children in Nemours’ pediatric oncology unit! Outside of school, I love spending my free time volunteering with my local ambulance corps (where I assist with basic life support on 911 calls) and volunteering at my local hospital (where I gain first-hand exposure to the medical field). I am also the youth volunteer coordinator in a nonprofit called Volunteering For Seniors where I bring together young volunteers to help conduct yoga, Zumba, and other fun events to engage with active senior citizens in my community. Additionally, one of my especially favorite activities that always keeps me engaged is fostering dogs. Over five years, my family has fostered and found homes for over 20 dogs and puppies, bringing fulfillment and a bunch of chewed-up shoes and pillows into our lives. Something else I love to do is travel. Since I was four months old, I have vacationed in eight different countries- the most recent of which was a cruise to Mexico- and I enjoy exploring new cultures and food. One of my longest hobbies also includes Bharatanatyam Dance, a form of Indian classical dance I have been learning for almost eleven years. I love Bharatanatyam because it allows me to connect with my cultural roots and express myself through the art of dance. Finally, whenever I have a spare moment to relax, you can find me either crocheting or reading away, with my favorites including anything and everything by Malcolm Gladwell and Frank Herbert (Blink and DUNE most of all). I joined TRIP because I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine, research, or- ideally- a combination of both. For our first day of TRIP, we became extremely familiar with micropipetting and mixing together the perfect concoction of drugs plus fly food. My kickoff research question for TRIP is “Do circadian rhythms affect fly fertility?” I will spend the next few weeks researching more about this question. I had so much fun meeting and learning more about everyone in TRIP. I can’t wait for the next TRIP session, and I am so grateful for this opportunity! Until next time -Shloka
Hi everyone, my name is Amritha Sakamuri and I am so excited to be a part of TRIP @ WTHS ‘24!! I am a current sophomore at Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, PA. I applied to TRIP because I wanted to further my knowledge in hypothesis-driven research and learn how to better explain the rationale behind my findings. I am hoping to pursue a career in the medical field, and through TRIP I am able to learn about several different career pathways in medicine and gain hands-on research experience. In school, I am involved in several clubs and activities. I am the president and co-founder of our school’s DECA chapter. Some of my specific tasks are to make sure we are up to date with all of our clearances and research how I can improve my chapter. I am a student representative in our student council, and I was the assistant editor-in-chief of our freshmen paper. Outside of school, I participate in a variety of activities including sports, music, and volunteering. I am a U.S. Figure Skating pre-silver medalist in moves in the field, and I have competed in synchronized skating events for 6 years! I am able to keep in touch with my culture through Carnatic singing. I am a Griffin College of London Level 1 Carnatic vocalist, and I am a youth leader for SEWA International, a nonprofit service organization. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. For my kickoff experiment, I am testing how Red Clover and high-sugar diets affect female fertility. In the following weeks, I will be testing how the fruit flies react to my four different vials of food (constant, drug only, stressor only, both stressor and drug). We were even able to take home a vial of about 25 fruit flies to observe daily. Best pet ever! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community!
Hi, my name is Rowan Chetty and I am a sophomore at Conestoga High School. I am excited to join the TRIP community to learn about how our environment and different foods can affect our health by using fruit flies. I am particularly excited to gain more laboratory experience by using new equipment and learning new techniques. At school, I am involved in a variety of clubs and extracurriculars. I have competed in science fair competitions since 5th grade having fun coming up with my own experiments to answer any questions that I had. I enjoy doing research and trying to figure out different ways to find solutions. I especially enjoy presenting my research in competitions. I also coach the middle school Science Olympiad team, providing them with advice and resources on how to participate in the competition. I love helping the students to spark an interest in science from a young age. Outside of the classroom, I write for my school newspaper, The Spoke. I cover community events, local news, and student features. Alongside writing, as the Co-Multimedia Editor, I edit and manage our broadcast section and help reporters make news video packages. As a member of the cross country and track team at my school I have participated in several meets. Last November I ran the Philly half marathon with some of my teammates achieving the goal that I set. I also enjoyed running the 10-mile Broad Street run with my parents, (though I was significantly faster than them both). Running helps me to destress, socialize, and enjoy the fresh air. I joined TRIP because I really enjoyed my AP Biology class last year and I wanted to learn more about how diseases and environmental conditions can affect health. In the future, I hope to work in a laboratory environment where I can help learn more about diseases to develop new medicines.
Within and out of the school, I participate in many activities that nurture my interests in STEM. I am the president and founder of our medical club named MedEx, where I get to share my passion with many other students! Through this club, I run our school’s HOSA chapter and help my members prepare for the upcoming competition at the state conference in March. With the support of my team and the school administration, we were successful in showcasing our school’s interest in medicine, which has resulted in the official incorporation of an Anatomy class in our school curriculum this year. I am also part of GVTutors, Science Olympiad, and Chem Olympiad. I volunteer my time at the UPenn Radnor Hospital Program, by shadowing activities in different medical departments, such as radiology and dermatology. I also enjoy working with friends and classmates in the gardening club, of which I am an officer. Our club grows plants such as sunflowers, peppers, and tulips in a garden allocated by the school. I feel that every moment I spend interacting with others develops me further as a human being. I enjoy meeting new people. I also like traveling to locations that reflect people’s dedication to what they love. One such trip was to the Bayern Munich stadium in Germany which was built as a home to one of the most successful “football” teams in the world. TRIP can teach us a unique skill that no traditional school can: how to run research. The hands-on experience at TRIP will not just improve my knowledge but also develop my skills in the process of scientific discovery. This program particularly stands out for me because it will give me the opportunity to explore research possibilities in pharmaceuticals. The first day in the lab went by too fast! Everyone here is so cool, and the instructors are so supportive! I am starting my research on the effect of Vitamin D3 and head trauma on fruit fly motility. My chemistry experience proved useful in calculating dilutions to get the proper concentration of Vitamin D3. Micropipetting made me feel like a professional, and I can’t wait to continue experiments next week!
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