Blog Archives

A TRIP into my journey! by Nihitha Vallabhaneni

3/9/2022

Hello! My name is Nihitha Vallabhaneni, and I am currently a junior at Garnet Valley High school located in Delaware County, PA. I’ll start off by talking a little bit about myself and then go into how I became a TRIP member. In school, my favorite subject has to be biology. I have always liked biology and the study of genetics since a young age and by attending workshops and camps, this interest only continued to grow. Additionally, I am involved in various leadership roles and clubs at school. I hold officer positions in the Global Awareness Club, Youth in Government, and FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Apart from school, I’m the co-coordinator of two nonprofit organizations called TinyHacks and Apps4Education. Two other activities I have been participating in for seven years are Indian Classical dance and playing the piano. Furthermore, I always like to stay involved with my community and contribute wherever I can, so I do a lot of volunteering through Cradles to Crayons as well.

During my leisure time, I love to watch sports, bake, and travel. I used to play basketball when I was younger and got really into watching the NBA nowadays. My favorite team is the Sixers and I would love to see them win a championship in the near future! During quarantine, my sister and I began baking various different goods such as macaroons, scones, and tarts to pass time. Thus, I have gotten really into trying new recipes and perfecting old ones. In addition, I enjoy traveling and exploring new places so much! I went to Europe two summers ago and it was a great experience. I got to visit some beautiful tourist sites and try new customs.

So now the question is “Why TRIP?” I am involved in TRIP because there are two courses of study that I am exceedingly passionate about, and I am trying to determine which one I want to continue my studies with in college. During my freshman year, I conducted an independent research project. The research question I was experimenting with was “How do warm colors and cool colors cognitively affect memory?” For this project, we had to collect background information, conduct an experiment, and ask for further funding. This assignment was one of the most memorable and intriguing projects I have worked on, which is why this program is so appealing to me. Unfortunately, due to covid, I was able to do all of the background information in order to conduct the research, but I was unable to efficiently gather data for the lab because I had to do everything virtually. Thus, I am excited to be a part of TRIP as I will be able to conduct research of my interest in a professional laboratory setting.

A TRIP Down Mahi’s World by Mahi Patel

3/8/2022

Hello fellow scientists! My name is Mahi Patel, and I am a junior at Bensalem High School.

I am an incredibly bubbly and energetic person who loves talking. I love journaling and list-making in my free time. I am always “busting” a move to my groovy playlists, which feature Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, and Big Time Rush (my guilty pleasure). I am a cereal enthusiast and prefer to enjoy my cereal as soggy as possible.

At school, I partake in Mathletes and the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS), in which I conduct experiments and present my findings at a science fair-like competition. I am also on the Reading Olympic team; I love reading realistic fiction, especially novels heavily infused with romance. My favorite book at the moment is “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. I am a member of my school’s Mock Trial team - Elle Woods is my main source of inspiration in life, thank you Legally Blonde!

Outside of school, I am a third degree black belt. I have done karate (Tang Soo Do) since I was four years old and have come to think of the art as a lifestyle more than an activity. I am an instructor at my karate studio and love working with the younger students. Additionally, I tutor elementary students, and working with them forces me to think outside the box and use my imagination. I also spend time volunteering at the hospital, and doing my favorite thing - talking! - with all different types of people.

So, why am I choosing to spend my Saturday mornings scrutinizing fruit flies? To me, the answer is quite simple: science is exhilarating and rewarding. The thrill of being able to ask my own questions, answer them, and then talk about my findings sounds like a blast. As a teenager who is about to enter the college application process, TRIP will either affirm or negate what I believe to be true about my relationship with science. On the other side of these eleven weeks in the lab, I hope to come out with an even stronger passion for a STEM-based career. Ultimately, TRIP will be an eye-opening experience, scientifically and socially! After all, they say that time flies when you are having fun!

A TRIP into my life by Erin Suter

3/7/2022

Welcome readers to a quick TRIP into my life. My name is Erin Suter and I’m a Junior at Central Bucks High School East. While I have a huge passion for science and learning new things, building connections and making discoveries to benefit society is my main reason for joining the TRIP Initiative. I was so excited to find out I was accepted into the program, and I’m thrilled to continue in the following weeks. My short-term goals for the future are to attend college and pursue a STEM major. I hope the TRIP Initiative can give me more insight into what specifically I want to do.

In school, I fall under the athletic-nerd category. I spend a majority of my free time after school at swim practice 5 days a week, sometimes practicing in the morning as well. Besides this, I am a member of Class Council, Student Council, Environmental Club, HOSA, and the Orchestra. I’m also an officer of a newly founded club called Generation She. This club motivates young women to pursue their passions in the business world. Outside of school, I volunteer at the Doylestown Hospital, I’m a graduate of the Citizen’s Diplomat Academy and I’m a Certified Conservation Ambassador. Conservation is a topic I feel strongly passionate about and I try to make as much of an impact as possible in my community by encouraging others to reduce their eco-footprint.

This Saturday, 2/5/2022, was my first day in the lab. I have never felt more like a scientist. Holding the micropipette in my hand for the first time and measuring amounts of St. John’s Wort and sucrose was an experience I will never forget. My fellow TRIP peers were so kind and motivated. It was cool to see how unique and diverse everyone was. I think it is so essential to hear different perspectives from so many different backgrounds especially when doing research projects like these. I can’t wait to start my research and discover more about the world we live in and myself. I’m excited to take on the TRIP journey and hopefully discover something amazing.

Signing off,
Erin Suter

Get to Know Me! by Kevin Lobo

3/6/2022

Hi! I am Kevin Lobo and I am a sophomore at Wissahickon High School. I was born in India and have had to move a bunch throughout my life. I have settled in this area for a few years now, which has helped me be more involved in my community than before. I am a proud member of Miss Daisy, team 341, our high school’s robotics team. I am super excited to be going to my first world championship in April this year! I help to program our robot, and we have the majority of the code for this season already written. (We just have to wait for the mechanical subteam to give us the actual subsystems to test.) I also take part in competitive programming competitions and hackathons. My friend and I placed seventh internationally at UPenn’s PClassic, and we have been training to do even better next time. With MLH hackathons, I have been able to put ideas to life with people all over the world, from Egypt to India, and it has been really fun!

I am also an active member of our school’s debate team. I compete in Lincoln Douglas, which is a one-on-one form of debate. This year’s topic dealt with the appropriation of outer space by private entities, which was really unique and interesting. I made it to the regional semifinals this year, which is a good bar to set for myself. I play soccer and tennis, so I naturally love sports and the outdoors. This summer, I helped train a group of younger kids in my neighborhood, as well as volunteered for the Elmwood Zoo. Spending that much time with kids really taught me how to talk to an entirely different audience.

I have interests that clearly fall all over the place, so it is difficult to decide what I want to do in the future. Through TRIP, I hope to foster the core skills required for each of these activities and apply them to create a really interesting experiment with flies! This experience will be essential to whatever field I go into, whether it be computer science or biochemistry. That said, our first day went really well and I know the TRIP will continue to be great!

A Little About Me! by Diya Parekh

3/5/2022

Hi! My name is Diya Parekh, and I’m a current junior at William Tennent High School. In my free time, I love reading and all-things music! Reading is always something I’ve loved and could do for hours at a time when I was younger, but it’s something I haven’t been the best at keeping up with once I started getting older and having less time. I’m trying to get back into it by exploring new genres and even branching out and trying to read nonfiction. As for music, it’s something I love in every single way. I’ve been playing the viola since I was in the third grade. It’s something that started off as just a hobby, but it’s become a pivotal part of my life. Through playing the viola, I have been able to gain a deeper appreciation for classical music. The polar opposite part of the musical part of me is my self-taught guitar journey! I have been teaching myself guitar for the past two years. I’ve gotten the chance to learn both electric and acoustic, and I can say with confidence that acoustic is my favorite. I could go hours on end learning complicated folksy acoustic songs.

A big part of my life, of course, is school. I’m an active member of my school’s National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, English Honor Society, and Key Club. All of these clubs are really great for community service opportunities and interacting with some like minded peers. I have also recently co-founded my school’s Health Science Exploration Club with one of my friends. My friend and I noticed that there weren't many resources for kids interested in the medical field, but there were lots of students that planned to go to college for pre-med or nursing. We designed this club this year to invite guest speakers in the health science field, including William Tennent alumni, to speak to our club about their high school, college, and work experience. So far, the club is doing very well!

I am so excited to learn about the research process and to make new friends at TRIP!

I told my mom I won’t TRIP from excitement! by Jenan Hazazi

3/4/2022

Hello readers. I'm Jenan Hazazi, a Junior at William Tennent Highschool.

Ever since I was on all fours, I have been quite fascinated by the world surrounding me and all that it has to offer. I've always been quite open to trying new things and essentially becoming comfortable being uncomfortable. I’m always seeking to find ways to grow as an individual and meet new people. In doing so, I tend to engage in many clubs that not only feed my curiosity, but also help others, such as Robotics, MSA, National Science Honor Society, and Volunteering clubs including Key Club. I also enjoy traveling very much as I've been to about 12 different countries and dozens of new cities. I've lived in Saudi Arabia for about three years and spent the rest of my childhood in New Jersey. I moved to Pennsylvania at the beginning of 2021 and I love it here. Moving around and meeting new people is arguably why I have become such a language enthusiast with hopes of becoming a polyglot one day. I am currently fluent in two languages, English and Arabic, and learning my third, Spanish.

Throughout my years of dabbling in new things, I have found myself to be extremely drawn to art and the sciences. Art is more of a hobby of mine; it always helps me to tune in to my creative side which sometimes gets lost while taking challenges that come my way. Though I favor painting realism with oil paints and sketching still life with pens, I can use or learn to use any medium given to me. Science on the other hand is more of a passion for me, something that I have always been sure that I will pursue in my lifetime as I genuinely can’t see myself doing anything else. People tend to say that learning is tedious and I disagree, telling them they must be learning something that doesn’t make their mind wander. That is what science does to me; keeping me forever wondering how things work, and continuously keeping me mesmerized and in awe of all that surrounds me. I’d hope to someday work in Emergency Medicine, but I would always consider any opportunities that I find or come my way, such as TRIP.

When this opportunity was brought up to me by my teacher Mr. Jayo, I knew I wanted to apply for a few different reasons. One of them was the chance to figure out if I wanted to do research in the future as the idea does intrigue me, which I give credit to my dad, a maxillofacial surgeon, who tells me stories of his time in the lab. At that time, he had lived in Guam and had a pet monkey named Alex. Maybe one day I’ll do research and have a pet monkey as well. Nevertheless, I also knew that there was much that I would take away from this program, both inside and outside the lab such as lab techniques, experimentation procedures, fine-tuning communication skills, and meeting new, like minded-people.

It had been my first day yesterday and to say I was so beyond excited is an understatement. I met some amazing people on just my first day as well as started to learn how to use a micropipette and set up an experiment by setting up the vials of food for the flies that I will use next time we join. I know I have much to learn, and alongside these brilliant fellow peers of mine, and especially under the wings of Dr. Leystra and Dr. Purdy, I can already tell this is the start of an amazing TRIP in my life!

Going on a TRIP! by Keith Thompson

3/3/2022

Hi everyone! My name is Keith Thompson, and I am a junior at William Tennent High School. This may not be the most exciting area, but I’ve lived here all my life, so I love it. I like to do a lot of different things, science being just one of them. The most rewarding thing I like to do is exercising. Running in particular has been a hobby of mine for the past 3-4 years. I started doing it occasionally to lose weight, but over the past 2 years I have really worked it into my life. I had been doing it on my own before, but this year I finally decided to join the track team. Though track is the only sport I participate in, I also love to watch sports and I am an avid football fan. Aside from sports, I like baking, reading, and eating. I love baking, but I have to avoid doing it too often, as I usually end up eating most of what I make. I don’t always find the time to read, but when I do, I love it, because it always relaxes me, as long as I’m reading a good book.

Of course, I wouldn’t have applied to TRIP if I weren’t interested in science. In school, I take Anatomy and AP Chemistry, and I am excited to continue learning in TRIP. I love doing labs in school, but we don’t do them as frequently as I’d like. TRIP will not only allow me to do more labs, but also give me real world lab experience. Additionally, it will give me insight into what career I want to pursue. As of now, I know I want to go into the science field, but I don’t know what I’d want to do specifically. Maybe doing TRIP will steer me towards being a research scientist, or maybe it’ll steer me towards a medical career. Who knows? Hopefully I will after we’re done!

The Start of my TRIP Journey by Eri Maeda

3/2/2022

Hello everyone! My name is Eri, and I’m a Junior at the Baldwin School. I was born in Tokyo, Japan. I spent most of my childhood in different parts of California, but this year is my first time in the East coast. I’m extremely excited to be part of an amazing program like TRIP!

I love all things music, but I especially love to play the clarinet. I’m a part of my school band program, and I also play for the Philadelphia Sinfonia. It’s an awesome group of teenagers that have a passion for music. We just had a concert in January. My favorite composer is Tchaikovsky, not only because his pieces are challenging, but because the history behind the composer and each symphony is fascinating to me. Music is also the reason why I’m curious about the auditory system. (It’s also what I’m hoping to base off my research at TRIP!)

One of my other passions is teaching. I don’t necessarily want to be an educator, but I think that it’s the best way for me to give back to my community right now. Last year, I created an organization to tutor Japanese to American students. I think that there are fewer resources to learn Japanese than other languages like Spanish or Chinese, so I think that it’s important for Japanese speakers like me to encourage others to learn this awesome language.

Yesterday, I met an amazing group of talented and friendly people. I’m really excited to work with all of my peers and mentors over the next couple of months. After we introduced ourselves and had a mini lesson on laboratory safety and pipettes, we started getting our hands on making fly food! For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be testing how Vitamin E (drug) can help with counteracting the effects of detergent (stressor).

The Beginning of my TRIP! by Sanjana Balaji

3/1/2022

Hi! My name is Sanjana Balaji and I am a sophomore at Garnet Valley High School. While we have only had one week in the TRIP lab, I have gotten to become friends with my TRIP family and I am eagerly looking forward to the Saturday’s I get to spend with them! Science has been a huge passion of mine ever since I participated in a science fair in 1st grade with my alka-seltzer lava lamp. My 6 year old self found the reasoning behind why bubbles formed fascinating. I fell in love with the creation and explanation of aspects from the world around us. My passion only evolved and 9 years later, here I am!

At school, I am involved in a variety of different clubs and activities. I am on the Speech and Debate team where I participate in heated Public Forum arguments, and the HiQ team, which is an academic quiz competition (basically like Jeopardy). I am also in Science Olympiad where I participate in Anatomy and Physiology, Forensics, and sometimes chemistry events, as well as STEAM Buddies, where we teach STEAM related topics to elementary and middle schoolers. Additionally, I tutor students in chemistry and I am part of my school’s tennis team. I love rallying with my friends and teammates and I spend hours every summer and fall on the courts. My absolute favorite subjects in school are chemistry and psychology. Every moment of those classes is invigorating and the science of matter, brains, and behavior is something I wish to continue learning about.

In my time outside of school, I immerse myself in a lot of musical and creative outlets. I play the piano and have been for about 11 years. Teaching is also a huge passion of mine and I started teaching piano to kids in my neighborhood about a year ago. I am a Bharatanatyam (a type of Indian classical dance form) dancer and a carnatic music singer. I’ve been a dancer since I was 4 and my connection towards dance has grown significantly in the past few years. I find that I cannot go a day without dancing and I’ve come to love and appreciate the connection with my culture it provides.

My desire to learn more about fields of science was the driving force behind my application for TRIP. In addition to hands-on lab experience and the opportunity to conduct my own research, I wanted the guidance of amazing mentors in order to figure out if science is the career path I should take. TRIP offered all three! I am hoping my experience at TRIP will let me figure out exactly what path I want to take. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and I cannot wait to see what the future brings!!

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