Dropped like flies! by Serena Kothari

Hi, My name is Serena Kothari. I am currently in my junior year at Garnet Valley High School. My favorite subjects in school are math and science. I love to learn, especially with new skills in math and science, which is why I am involved in the TRIP Initiative program. I have yet to decide what I want to do in the future but I know that biology and medicine interest me.

Aside from school, I participate in Speech and Debate club, Invent team (an invention competition team), and I play tennis and guitar. In my spare time, I mainly read or spend time with my family. My favorite book genre lies somewhere between science fiction/dystopian society and realistic fiction. Currently, my favorite book is Divergent by Veronica Roth. The protagonist in the story faces and overcomes many obstacles despite being around people who underestimate her which is an amazing lesson that can be applied to everyday life. My family and I spend time with each other usually through watching movies. Our favorites include Spiderman Homecoming, A Few Good Men, and Iron Will. One of my favorite things to do is Escape Rooms. The concept of an Escape Room is to find a way out of a locked room in 60 minutes through various clues in the room. I enjoy the both the logic and problem solving aspect of the game.

Today was my second day at the Trip initiative program and I have already learned so much. Because the teachers are so supportive and the other participants are so kind, the program is such a safe and happy learning atmosphere. On the first day, we made fly food along with adding a drug and stressor to some of the vials. In the coming weeks, I will be subjecting my fruit flies with Rhodiola and dish soap.  I have also learned how to use a micropipette, how to distinguish fly genders, and how to knock out flies with CO2 gas. Wow, I think I now understand where the phrase “dropped like flies comes from”.

I am excited to both learn and to see what else I will be exposing fruit flies to during the duration of the program. I cannot wait to share this incredible journey with you.
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