However, I feel very blessed to be able to live here, and have so many great opportunities like the TRIP Initiative that can allow me to pinpoint and pursue my interests. I’ve always been more of a numbers and logic person, so naturally, I have a strong interest in math and science. While school is a great place to get an understanding of certain subjects, I wanted to actually physically participate in what I was learning. Yes, there are small labs and assignments in school, but having a place where I can go every week to study something that is unique to me is a much more fulfilling experience. So far, TRIP has exceeded my expectations. I was a bit worried that it may be too much to handle, and it would be hard to grasp some of the lab techniques, but the instructors (Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra) make the program very easy to follow along and succeed in. The pacing of the course has been just right so far. It does not feel overwhelming yet every week it feels like I am genuinely learning new things and making progress in the areas I am passionate about. I’m looking forward to seeing where TRIP takes me and am very excited to start my independent research project!
1 Comment
TRIP has ignited my intellectual curiosity and introduced me to many new concepts in the three weeks since it has begun. I can't wait to learn more!
I applied to the TRIP program to help me explore my scientific interests and further my passion for scientific discovery. Through the exploration of various scientific fields of study, I have found that I am drawn to biology. It makes sense of the complex interactions underlying our daily experiences that are needed to survive. It also provides a platform to interface with other fields and make a difference in our lives. While I love biology, I also have a variety of other interests and hobbies. Of course, I love to hang out with my friends, which I haven't been able to do that much this year because of COVID. I also enjoy singing in my school choir (and pretty much everywhere else), participating in engaging discussions with the Black Student Union (BSU), and playing on school sports teams. I’ve played soccer all throughout high school and, even though I'm not the best on the team, have loved seeing myself and other teammates grow. I also swam for most of high school, but took a break in junior year to try something new and play squash! I also enjoy teaching myself the ukulele, getting lost in poetry, and playing with visual arts. I especially appreciate the art of typography, calligraphy, and page design, and I love incorporating these into my academic work. Words and information are powerful, but design allows people to convey their thoughts in a captivating way. I love incorporating my love of design, BSU, music, sports, and writing into all my scientific endeavors.
I applied to TRIP because I have always been really interested in science and the different things you can do to help people through science and medicine. I was motivated to do this because my brother has Noonan Syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and is deaf. His journey in medicine and the work that has been done to help his health is very interesting to me, especially since so much of his condition is new to us and even some of the doctors we have encountered. In the future, I want to put my knowledge of science to good and help people in their medical journeys, just as the medical community has done for my family.
At school, I am actively involved in Science Olympiad, Math Club, Future Medical and Science Professionals Club, and Speech and Debate. I also play for my school’s tennis team, and tennis season is definitely my favorite time of the school year. Outside of school, I spend a substantial amount of time listening to music (R&B, K-pop, indie pop… it fluctuates very often), scrolling through Twitter, and feeding my fascination with the mukbang community on YouTube. I also love gardening and hiking with my family.
In just three weeks, we’ve already done so many cool things (sorting flies on a Saturday morning is pretty cool, in my opinion) and I'm so excited to continue learning and growing!
When my school announced the ‘two-week’ closure in March 2020, I felt pretty excited walking out of the Masterman building feeling happier than usual. I envisioned the equivalent of an extended vacation where I could talk to my friends, do some easy homework and classes for a few hours per day, and overall just have time to relax. Soon enough, the number of cases and deaths skyrocketed, and it slowly started to sink in that I probably would never see some of my friends from the 8th grade in person again as not everyone was going to Masterman’s high school for their freshman year. So began the mass shutdowns, the mask wearing, the social distancing, and the ever worsening curve of the virus. However, while this pandemic has definitely caused much despair and frustration, its implications offered me an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. First of all, I had never really experienced having too much time on my hands. Having the time for and needing to find a worthwhile occupation taught me how to research interesting and engaging programs in my area, such as a virtual career exposure program I did over the summer. The pandemic also helped me build a strong work ethic as it could sometimes feel very easy procrastinating knowing I was spending entire days indoors. Pushing myself to get stuff done, knowing that there is always, no matter what, something else productive and helpful that I can do, is an important lesson that I picked up that I know will help me a great deal in the future. Covid-19 showed me that the most important thing in life is not losing a few points on an assignment, but treasuring hard work, maturity, patience and the everyday social interactions that were taken for granted before the pandemic. The most important thing in life is not losing a few points on an assignment, but treasuring hard work, maturity, patience and the everyday social interactions that were taken for granted before the pandemic. I am involved in the TRIP Initiative because I love science and hands-on research, especially in a group setting. One of my career goals is to become a biomedical researcher, and, when I saw this program, I saw the great opportunity it provides to learn more about what being a researcher is like by studying lab protocol and how to prepare for, conduct, and present an advanced experiment. TRIP indeed is an incredible opportunity for one to not only be exposed to a lot of novel, really interesting material but also to have fun learning about this with peers. I am extremely grateful to TRIP for hosting the program and especially for managing a way to safely run it in-person (it feels almost surreal to be learning inside a classroom again!). Keep going strong and patiently everyone, together we’ll get through this!  Hi! My name is Sruthi Malineni and I am a junior at Garnet Valley High School. I have moved seven times before my family decided to call Pennsylvania our home, so I am no stranger to new adventures. I’ll start off by talking a little bit about myself. In school, my favorite subjects are the ones related to science–Biology and Anatomy and Physiology are my favorites. I enjoy playing the flute in the Wind Ensemble and marching band. Apart from that, I am the Vice President of Global Awareness club where I help coordinate fundraisers and bring attention to humanitarian issues facing the world. Outside of school, I love to bake! I first started baking in fifth grade and I haven’t stopped since; some of my favorite things to bake are cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. When I am not baking, you can find me watching bollywood movies.
By now, we are all aware (and weary) of the ongoing pandemic, but it has provided me with the opportunity to start a tutoring platform. My friend and I created a website where we offer tutoring sessions in STEM subjects (math is our most popular subject) in exchange for donations to a global cause, and this allowed me to share my passion for STEM with young children through the comfort of my home. Okay, so why did I apply to TRIP? Well, for some context, everyone in my family is some type of engineer, and although I find engineering to be interesting, I want to be exposed to other fields. As I have mentioned before, I enjoy science and I would like to pursue a career in the sciences. However, I had always been doubtful about how I would fit into the diverse field of science, and I believe TRIP will help me gain an understanding of what my role will be. Also, the idea of getting to create my own research project and get hands on experience in the lab seems exciting. I have so many ideas running around in my head, but I digress. For now, I have learned so much about fruit flies and how to work in a lab setting and I am excited to learn so much more. |
Archives
February 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Company |
|
Thank you to our donors for making our mission possible through your generous support.
|
|
|
|
|