Hi guys! My name is Hannah Tong, and I am currently a junior at Harriton High School. I originally heard of TRIP through my academic seminar teacher and was immediately interested because I thought it would be a great way to connect what I learn in the classroom with real-life scenarios! I feel like there’s definitely a gap between doing labs in school and an actual job in research, which is why I really appreciate the chance to be a part of TRIP@WTHS’25! I want to work in the medical field in the future, so TRIP will have a huge impact on whether I want to pursue a career in the lab or go down a different route. Regardless, I’m definitely going to push myself and have some fun with the amazing people here! ​

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica Joseph. I am a junior at Conestoga High School, where I am the founder, president, and ambassador of the Lingua Link Club, an ENGin chapter. The mission of Lingua Link is to serve as a Ukrainian language and culture club that provides a platform for students to tutor English to children in a warzone, share culture and history, and foster empathy and understanding for Ukrainian students. I am also the Lead Copy Editor in my school’s Literary Magazine, known as The Folio, encouraging creativity among students with literary and artistic talents. Within the school environment I am a peer mediator and peer tutor.

​During my free time, I engage in a range of extracurricular activities. I enjoy photography, painting still life, and dancing. To nurture a love for the sciences among young children I initiated a science reading program at the local library. Apart from this, I volunteer at the local soup kitchen. I also volunteer at a hospice while being a bedside companion that provides emotional support and overall wellbeing.

​My love for the sciences was ignited in freshman year. While learning about cellular biology, I was intrigued and fascinated by the role of the cell and cellular regeneration. Realizing its potential and incorporation in the process of battling cancer, I researched upon this topic. I was able to publish my research paper (on Immune Cell Regeneration and Multiple Myeloma Cancer). My pursuit of scientific inquiry and knowledge led me to apply to TRIP.

As I have embarked on this journey, I gained hands-on experience with micropipetting, making solutions and dilutions, assembling fly food in vials, laboratory procedures, and observing the developmental process of Drosophila Melanogaster (Fruit Fly). All this while having fun and making new friends and connections. I hope to fly into new horizons through this program backed by research and laboratory experimentation.

Hey everyone, my name is Egor Sakhabutdinov and I am a senior at CB South (Go Titans!).

​I have always loved the sciences and taking (frankly, surviving) courses like AP Chemistry and now breezing through AP Biology. I am pretty dead set on having a STEM career. I had this epiphany at the end of 11th grade. By then, most applications for STEM programs were closed. Going into my last school year and college applications, I was a little nervous about my prospects of getting to major in something I loved at a school of my top choice. I was applying to colleges alongside TRIP, not sure if I would get into either. However, December brought some amazing news and now, I will get to attend one of my top schools and TRIP.

​Looking back at the first day of TRIP, it was nothing short of incredible. Getting to meet my peers and instructors who are just as passionate about STEM as me was so fulfilling, and I can’t wait to see what we will all achieve together. Here’s to more days like the first day of TRIP!

​Hi everyone! My name is Anika Gupta and I am a junior at Spring-Ford Area High School. I am so excited to start my TRIP journey! I applied to TRIP because I am a huge science nerd and love learning about biology and chemistry. I was immediately drawn in by the idea of conducting research on fruit flies (despite my irrational fear of bugs) because I have always been deeply curious about why different phenomena occur within the biological world and conducting research is the key to answering such questions.

​I love being actively involved both within school and outside of school. Currently, I am the Spring Ford Student Board representative, Vice President of Interact Club and Student Council, and an executive officer of my school’s Future Medical Leaders of America Club. These activities are extremely meaningful to me because I am passionate about bettering the community around me and using my voice to make a difference. Outside of school, I volunteer at my local hospital in the Emergency Department. I normally assist in triage by taking vitals and communicating with patients. Additionally, I am the Vice President of the marketing department for the Junior Achievement Company Program at Pfizer. In the program, a group of highschoolers and myself create a company to sell a product that we hope will make a positive impact on the community. This year we are creating and selling a card game designed to promote creativity and critical skills in young kids! Finally, I co-founded an initiative called STEMscouts, where I host classes at my local library to help kids explore science through hands-on experiments and engaging lectures. Simplifying complex science concepts into something digestible can be challenging, but it’s so rewarding to see the spark of curiosity light up on their faces as they learn through these classes.

​At school, I’m involved in a mix of activities. As a Mini-THON captain, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of a team dedicated to raising money for pediatric cancer. It’s all about bringing people together for a great cause, and I get to oversee everything from helping organize events to rallying the school to participate. We raised a quarter million dollars this last Mini-THON season alone, which still feels so surreal! Volunteering has always been something close to my heart. In my role as treasurer of my school’s Interact Club, I’ve worked to organize service projects like food drives, the Out of the Darkness Walk, and so much more. Outside of school, working with organizations like the Sunshine Foundation has been incredibly rewarding. Along with that, I’m a member of my school’s wind ensemble, where I play the alto and baritone saxophone, and I’ve had the opportunity to participate in my school’s jazz band as well. I’ve always loved music. That’s why I co-founded my school’s Guitar Club. I wanted to create a space where students could bond over music. It’s been an amazing way to share something I love with others. 

​Today was the first day of TRIP. I got to meet the TRIP team: Dr. Purdy, Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, Mr. Cozzone, Phoebe, Amritha, and Martie. They were all so welcoming and supportive! We started with an icebreaker game that actually was fun (a rare occurrence, considering most icebreakers are just awkward silences disguised as “fun” activities). We got to talk to each other, match up fun facts, and guess who they belonged to. We were all motivated to win and get that Wawa gift card. Then, we did a quick scavenger hunt activity to review lab safety. In the lab, we learned how to use pipettes and micropipettes. We also learned about solutions, including the math needed to calculate the varying concentrations and amounts required. Using these skills, we prepared fly food for our kickoff experiment. For my kickoff experiment, I’ll be testing how Rhodiola and head trauma affect anxiety. Overall, my first day of TRIP was a great experience. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and feel excited for what lies ahead. I’m looking forward to sharing more updates on my progress, and I can’t wait to see what we all accomplish!