Fear of failure!? I think not! by Maria DelPo

A good portion of my life was spent intimidated by science. Maybe it was the vocabulary? Maybe it was because no one in my immediate family was a science enthusiast? What I do know is that there was no reason to be. Science is awesome! Science is challenging! Science is something I want to spend the rest of my life doing. The intimidation I experienced drifted away and for the last couple of years, science has been what makes me exceptionally happy. My passion for science has been cultivated throughout high school and with help from stupendous science teachers; I able to prevent doubt from filling my brain. Then, my Biology teacher informed me about this program, TRIP Initiative. My mind began racing, once again. Instead of only fear, there was  pure excitement filling my mind.
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Being in this program has been one of the most unique experiences I have had the privilege of being a part of during my lifetime thus far. I was able to explore science outside of my school classroom. There was not pre-established directions to follow, rather one's own curiosity paved the way. My interest led me to test vitamin D3 and circadian rhythms. I investigated whether D3, a hormone synthesized by the sun, had an effect on alertness/sleepiness. Essentially, does an increased amount of vitamin D3 make flies more active? Does it influence circadian rhythms? I was curious to see if vitamin D3 could make possible sleep deprived flies more active. I did this by exposing the flies to light 24/7. The results showed that D3 did improve fly activity in a normal condition and also when exposed to the constant light setting.

​Wow! I just hypothesized and tested my own scientific questions. The scientific method has unfolded before my eyes! Conducting science outside of my high school classroom has allowed me to explore science in my free time. It has given me more reasons to believe in myself. From this blog post take away the idea: if you have ever felt intimidated or scared of something go and do more of it. You never know you just may end up making friends building a family, and finding what you love to do along the way.