An Insight Into My Life by Noella Idem

Hey everyone, My name is Noella Idem and I am currently a rising senior at Downingtown STEM Academy. I was born and raised in Nigeria, before moving to Downingtown, a small borough in PA which I have lived in ever since. With the opportunities granted by my school, I have become an active member and leader in a variety of activities. I am the regional vice president in FBLA, the future Business Leader of America and UNICEF, and I participate in color for coats in New Jersey. With my vivid interest in the field of medicine, I am currently attending the Johns Hopkins Global Health Conference, exposing me to the wonders of many fields and different specialities. I have always had a passion for science from a younger age, perhaps stemming from my immense lack of interest in english or global history. Nevertheless, the TRIP Initiative has introduced me to technicalities of research and just how contradictory it can be. 
Apart from my academic activities, I also love to create and design in my free time. With the skills acquired in FBLA, I spend my time exploring graphic design and publication design as who could ever say no to some free doodling :)! I also run track and love to hike (even though I can never remember where I go). In my spare time I swim a lot! I love going to my local creek and swimming with my friends, or kayaking and paddle boarding. I also love to work out, not only does it have many medical benefits, it has become a stress relief for me. 
Similar to many of my TRIP friends, I too have subdued  the  excitement of attending this program and working with other like-minded students. My excitement has only been outweighed by the curiosity about the challenges it entails. So far in week 1, we have completed a discomforting amount of dilution problems reminding me of the long division problems I don’t miss in 5th grade. I have also created fly food, and am now evaluating intestinal inflammation in flies, which I didn’t even think could be performed on flies. With my future endeavors in dermatology or perhaps, epidemiology, I am ecstatic to see what we do next!