A TRIP with Me! by Samarth Mannikeri

To the person reading this: Hey there! I hope you are doing well. 

My name is Samarth Mannikeri, and I am a rising junior at Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. At Pennsbury, my interests vary all over the place. In terms of music, I play the piano and saxophone along with my school's symphonic band or my fellow peers. I am also the captain of Pennsbury's speech and debate team, placing myself in numerous nationally-ranked tournaments in domestic and international extemporaneous speaking. Moreover, I am an active member of Pennsbury’s Mathletics team, newspaper, and literary magazine. Additionally, in partnership with the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 and GenYouth programs, I am a national Youth Council member. You can also catch me playing tennis with my school’s team or friends. In terms of science, I participate in Pennsbury's Science Discovery Club, competing in the PJAS (Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science) and BCSF (Bucks County Science Research Academy) competitions. In my free time, I enjoy reading non-fiction books, volunteering with my local community, watching anime, and making (and eating) some delicious Indian food!

Since elementary school, I have always been interested in the sciences (considering the fact that it is my favorite subject), as it can solve issues for millions of people across the globe. Each field in science offers its own visualization of the behaviors and characteristics of the world; however, as they merge together under the umbrella of science, these various fields unveil the true world at an extremely large and diverse scale.

Through this wonderful opportunity with TRIP, especially with the use of fruit flies, I have been able to understand and examine the micro and macro characteristics and elements of the world of research. These real-life applications, particularly through the use of fruit flies, allows us all to truly appreciate and recognize the world and society around us. I aspire to create an experiment that can prove the effectiveness of engineered medications (allopathy) versus natural medicines (homeopathy). Furthermore, I hope to analyze the real-life implications or benefits they each have to offer. I am looking forward to taking an amazing TRIP with this outstanding program, and I hope this course will be able to further deepen my knowledge of the sciences and the public health sector, which can propel my dream of becoming a pediatrician. 

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