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I’m growing a horde of flies in my room. Strange, right? why would I ever grow these annoying insects in my room? I’ll explain. Hi, my name is Saurish, and I am currently a junior at Downingtown West High School. Even though it's been only one session, TRIP has already become one of the best experiences I've had in my high school career. This opportunity has given me a chance to pursue something I LOVE–science. Being able to get guidance in applying professional lab skills while being able to connect with people who share the same passions as you is a truly ephemeral experience.  Some fun facts about me: I used to be a 1300 rated chess player. I personally liked the strategy involved in every game. I’ve always moved around a lot. For example, I’ve lived in four different states (Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and Florida) and moved a total of ten times. Each move pushed me to meet new people every time. I’ve even won a local cornhole tournament, and one of the highlights in my life was helping save ten turtles at once while out in nature.
My first day in TRIP was exciting. I met so many new people who shared the same curiosity and enthusiasm for science, and I immediately felt like I belonged. That day, I began my kickoff experiment: Does intestinal inflammation impact adult fly motility? It was my first time working hands on with outside of school lab equipment, and I ended up learning that things don’t always go perfectly the first time. I spent nearly 20 minutes using a pipette completely wrong before finally figuring it out. By the end of that first session, I’m already excited for what was next. If you have an extreme passion for the sciences, do TRIP. 
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 Hello everyone! My name is Kaiden Ramessur, and I’m a sophomore at George School, which is both a boarding school and a day school. (I’m personally NOT a boarder). I live in the USA right now, in Newtown Pennsylvania, with my younger sister and parents. If you guys want to know me, I should describe myself. I would say that I am energetic, creative, and always ready to learn & help others. I really love fantasy books, DND, video games, and (of course) science! I have tried coding and writing, and while I enjoy both, I think a job in the sciences is what I want to do. A fun fact about me is that I’ve lived in England, the USA, and Hong Kong, China! Other than TRIP, I’ve done an INSPIRIT programme course, which teaches you how to use Artificial Intelligence to help sort data and further science without letting it do the thinking. It was a great experience and played a large role in applying to TRIP. For my future career choice, there are a few options that stick out to me, however I honestly do not know what to do. Astrobiology (the study of extraplanetary life / the origins of life) sticks out to me as interesting, and it fits my interests of biology, primordial life, and astronomy. I am confident that TRIP will help me choose my career choice and be an amazing experience.  Anyways, I think going over my first day is going to be very important for any potential applicants or even for myself in the future, so I can see my own growth: I was the first person in, and only Dr. Valdez, Dr. Austria, and Dr. Nick were there, along with Sabina, who is an alumni of the TRIP programme who is now a TA. My first impression of TRIP was that it was a lot less intimidating and a lot more welcoming than my initial expectations would have me to believe. I could immediately tell that this was an environment where I could feel supported and ask for help at any time, which made me feel a lot more ready for the programme. While the activities in the first day were mostly introductory, they were crucial to making the most out of the programme by laying strong foundations of expectations, equipment usage, and communication basics. I found the class length to be long enough to be able to use our time productively and get a lot done, but not too long to feel overbearing.
  Hi everyone!! My name is Laasya Malneedi and I’m a junior at Spring-Ford High School. I applied to Winter TRIP because I genuinely love science and think it is such a great opportunity to conduct real research while taking my own step toward answering bigger biological questions. After having such an amazing experience working with fruit flies as a model organism in the summer session, I knew I had to come back! I hope to work in the medical field in the future, so TRIP is a great way for me to gain important lab skills and hands-on research experience, no matter what path I end up pursuing!
 Yesterday was my first day of Winter TRIP, and it felt great to be back in the lab again! We reviewed micropipetting skills, made fruit fly food, and even got a gift to take home (a vial of fruit flies to observe their development!). It was so fun meeting the TRIP team, especially during our icebreaker competition! Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, Dr. Maskalenko, and our TA Sabina were all so supportive and welcoming with clearing any questions or doubts we had. For my kickoff experiment, I’ll be studying whether head trauma impacts fruit fly anxiety and if diet can have a protective effect. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to meet so many intelligent and passionate people (doing the photoshoot part was super entertaining!) and can’t wait to see what this session brings. I’m so excited to see what we all accomplish and learn from our results!
Some days feel completely normal, until one moment, one singular moment changes quite literally everything. That day started like any other. Same routine, same people, same classes, and same expectations, until the last period of the day. A notification popped up on my phone. It was an email from THE Dr. Austria regarding a program I had applied to weeks earlier: TRIP. Expecting rejection, I opened the email, but to my surprise I advanced to the next stage of the program. The shock came first, followed by immense excitement.
 Hey everyone! Welcome to my first blog entry. My name is Punam Mojumdar, and I’m a 17-year-old junior at Bensalem High School. Most know me as a talkative person who loves sparking conversations with anyone and everyone. Getting to know someone new feels like stepping into a completely different perspective, and that curiosity is one of the main reasons I was so excited to join TRIP. It’s a chance to become part of a community — a science community — filled with people who share the same passion for discovery. Being guided by mentors who are already fluent in the language of science is truly a blessing, giving me both inspiration and a sense of belonging.  I like to keep myself busy with activities both in and outside of school because I enjoy learning, creating, and helping others. At school, I participate in clubs like PJAS, where I design my own experiments, and HOSA, which connects me to my other interests in the medical field. Outside of school, I volunteer at Jefferson Hospital and shadow a physical therapist, gaining hands-on experience in patient care and learning how to combine professionalism with empathy. Art is another big part of my life —painting and creating gives me space to reflect and explore ideas and I’ve found it complements science in an unexpected way. Alongside these activities, my best friend and I also created care kits for survivors of domestic violence, providing essential items and comfort to people in need (donations are gathered from the community, and kits that are made are sent to partnering women shelters). On another note, I joined my regional fire station, becoming a junior firefighter, which wasn’t exactly part of my original plan, but nonetheless it has taught me the value of service. Originally I wanted to be an Emergency Medical Technician, and I still have plans to do this in the future, but somehow life took me in another direction. Staying busy with all of these experiences pushes me to grow in different ways, both as a student and person!  In the future, I definitely see myself pursuing a career in STEM, in the medical field, specifically in surgery. My interest in medicine comes from something psychologists call prosocial motivation—the desire to help others simply because it matters to you. I want to make an impact. I want to create a difference, even if it's only for one person, because sometimes, just sometimes, some moments of care can change everything. While this goal may sound cliché, it's a belief that genuinely guides me. Every step taken will be for this journey, and for me this TRIP begins with TRIP.
 Hi! My name is Simran Kamal-Bahl, and I am a sophomore at Germantown Academy. Last year, I was part of the Summer TRIP program. During the program, I learned a lot about the fruit fly as a model organism and developed basic lab skills, including taking measurements, preparing solutions, and conducting assays. This experience gave me a glimpse into the world of lab-based research. Now, I am excited to take part in the TRIP’26@WTHS, where I will have the opportunity to design and run my own experiment from start to finish. I am particularly interested in studying how lifestyle factors, such as diet, affect behavior and health in fruit flies. Overall, through TRIP, I would like to gain more lab experience, conduct meaningful research that interests me, work with amazing mentors, and meet like-minded peers.  So here’s a little bit more about me… I am a hardworking and academically driven student with a growth mindset. However, I also have a wide range of interests beyond academics. In school, I have been playing the flute for the past seven years. I also play on my school's tennis team, always bringing my best energy on and off the courts. I am also an elected senator in our Student Government Association. In this position, I work to improve student life and the school's infrastructure. I have been participating in my school’s independent science research program since middle school. Through my research, I aim to study and address real-world issues that I see people around me facing. I have presented this work at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) and the Delaware Valley Science Fairs.  Outside of school, I love to dance and have been practicing Kathak, an Indian classical dance form, for almost ten years. I enjoy traveling and going to the beach. I have visited many places, from Europe to Central America to Asia. One of my favorite trips was to the island of Tenerife, off the coast of Spain. Another big interest of mine is cooking and baking. In particular, I am passionate about nutrition and creating delicious, healthy recipes. Overall, I am a very social and positive person, and I always have a smile on my face. However, making other people smile gives me the most joy. Whether it’s making my friends and family laugh or helping those in need, this is one of the things I do best. On Day 1 of Winter TRIP, it was exciting to be back in the lab environment, especially after participating in Summer TRIP last year. After introductions, we spent time practicing basic lab skills such as solution calculations and using micropipettes. This served as a great refresher and was a fun activity to work on alongside my peers. We also prepared fly food vials for our kickoff experiment. My kickoff experiment focuses on studying the effects of a high-sugar diet (stressor) and fenugreek (drug) on female fertility in fruit flies. Finally, I was surprised to learn that we each received a vial containing fruit flies to take home and observe over the week! After a great Day 1 of TRIP, I look forward to continuing to learn, collaborate, and laugh with my mentors and peers throughout Winter TRIP!
 Hi everyone! I’m Alan Meng, a junior at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, PA. I grew up in Massachusetts for the first 2 years of my life before moving to the greater Philadelphia area. I first heard of TRIP from my school’s college counselor, who had recommended it to anyone interested in science or just wanting to experience lab work. Since I have always enjoyed experimenting with Legos, tending plants in my family’s garden, and cooking, I felt that TRIP would be an excellent opportunity to apply that interest to something with real-world relevance and something that is beyond my comfort zone. Another reason why I decided to get involved with TRIP was to meet and work with a group of people with a shared interest/goal, as well as explore possible career paths. When I was applying, and even now, I am still not 100% that I would like to pursue a career in STEM. However, Dr. Austria and the rest of the TRIP staff have reinforced the message that this program is designed for students to explore the STEM field and gauge whether they enjoy research, which I found very reassuring.
 My first day of TRIP was filled with activities to better understand the lab equipment as well as my peers. To get to know each other better, we did an icebreaker on fun facts about ourselves and we took group photos. To become more accustomed to the main lab and prep room area, we did a scavenger hunt to locate basic lab tools and safety equipment. Afterwards, we did demos with micropipettes before making our fly food for our kickoff experiments! In my experiment, I will study if “circadian rhythms affect female fertility?” and whether diet could protect against disruption of the light/dark cycle. I will be using valerian, an herbal remedy used to improve sleep quality, as part of the fruit flies' diet, and using tinfoil to wrap around the fruit fly vials as my stressor.
 Hey! My name is Luke and I’m a junior at Garnet Valley High School in Garnet Valley, PA. Even though I got snowed in on the first day, I’m excited to join the TRIP family. I applied here because scientific research has always been a big interest of mine, and what better way to gain some experience? Especially as someone who wants to pursue a STEM career (specifically, neuroscience), it was a no-brainer.  Anyways, a little bit about me: my family of five immigrated to the states from South Korea when I was 4, bouncing around between Texas, the Midwest, and eventually in PA. My cultural identity is a big part of who I am – the language, the food, the culture, are all integral to my life. I have too many interests and hobbies to count: I love sports and staying active – if I’m not at home, you can find me at the soccer field. Music is also a huge part of who I am. Check out my Spotify if you don’t believe me; 30 playlists, 2,000 liked songs, I mean it when I say I listen to EVERYTHING. I’ve also picked up reading recently (I just finished When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthini – go check it out!!). I’m also just a typical teenage dude sometimes: I like playing video games (I’ve been on Rocket League lately) and hanging out with my guys.  In and out of school, I’d like to think I’m pretty involved. I try to make the most of time as I can, and I think I do it pretty successfully. The spring of my freshman year, me and my friends founded a nonprofit organization, Plover at Garnet Valley, that donates hygiene products to underserved communities. I’m involved in the soccer and track teams as a varsity letterman, and even dabbled in some rec league basketball this winter. Beyond that, I’m the president of our NHS chapter, part of the FBLA and HOSA teams, and a member of Annenberg Research Club, which was actually where I heard about TRIP for the first time from my alumni friends (thanks, Victoria and Ethan). Whether it’s solving integrals in AP Calc or volunteering at my church’s Korean School, I’d like to think that I’m giving my best effort in everything that I do.
For my kickoff experiment, I’ll be measuring how Valerian and disrupted circadian rhythms affect fly anxiety. Even though my first week of class was put on hold by the weather, I’m excited to see what TRIP holds in store for me!
 Hello, my name is Michael Liu! I’m a 16 year-old high school junior coming to TRIP from Tower Hill School. While I find describing myself fully to be quite the task to undertake, one word that encapsulates much of who I am is that I am passionate. Passionate about what? Well, anything, really! I’m passionate about the people I hold close, I’m passionate about playing the flute, and I’m passionate about my taste in music. But just as importantly, I am passionate about learning more about the world; I’ve been walking (and crawling) this earth for a good while now, so I’d best explore as much as I can. But of course, passion is nothing without action. And I, for one, aim to act on my passions every day.  So how do I do that? Well, I certainly don’t do it alone! Truly, defining myself is as much a consideration of who I am as it is a consideration of the people that have shaped me throughout over time. For as long as I remember, I’ve been enjoying my passions surrounded by friends and family– from when I was a little kid, I recall sitting on the bed with my brother, taking turns watching each other play games on my dad’s tablet. Nowadays, I enjoy talking with friends after a busy day of classes, discussing whatever is on our minds. Whether it’s cooking, baking, gaming, or going on a stroll, all things are best enjoyed with others– precisely why I look forward to working alongside peers at TRIP who are just as passionate as I am.
 I am also passionate about being myself, while simultaneously exploring and sharpening what that means. In only the first day at TRIP alone, I was able to broaden my horizons in terms of laboratory technique, as well as meeting like-minded peers. While I have always been a bit tentative around people I don’t know, I shocked myself with how quickly I warmed up to the others. While school labs could only take me so far, the practices and resources at TRIP let me see beyond what I could dream of in my high school laboratory. It was a nice introduction to preparing food for the fruit flies, and I even have a vial of flies in my room right now (I confess that they do make me feel weird)! Although this first day was only a glimpse of what is to come, I cannot wait to see what I can discover about flies and myself over the course of these weeks. At the end of the day, I am Michael Liu, but I wouldn’t mind all that much if you don’t remember my name; I’ve met at least three other Michael Lius, after all. My hope is that what people remember is my passion for all that I love– from art to science to flies.  |
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