Fly-ing through my TRIP by Saurish Singh

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.

I like to express my passion through the clubs I take at school. Right now, I am a participant of HOSA, TSA, DECA, and Biology Olympiad, a club which I founded to share Biology with others at school. Last year I was a state finalist at my comp and went to the international conference for HOSA. Outside of clubs at school, I love to play basketball & volleyball. Unfortunately, I'm not able to play this season due to a back injury. Before my injury, I loved to go hiking and take frequent nature walks. I visited the Appalachians, Rocky Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, and other national parks like, Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc., but my favorite location out of this cohort was probably the Great Smoky Mountains, the views and the nature was insane, and I definitely visit a second time if I had the chance. Recently, I’ve also been working on building a website designed to help people discover their passion within healthcare through a chat engine. My goal is to make it easier for students to explore different health related careers and find paths that align with their interests.

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.