Flying on a TRIP Through My Life by Megan Xie

Hi everyone! My name is Megan Xie, and I am a rising junior at Lower Moreland High School. I am involved in my school’s science club, where I participate in science fairs and PJAS, and math club, and I am very excited to co-lead the coding club this fall. I am also a member of the National Honor Society and the Student Ambassador Program at my school. Additionally, I play cello in my school’s orchestra and chamber strings ensemble, and I occasionally accompany my school’s choir on the piano. ​

Outside of school, my friend and I co-lead the Super Joey Foundation’s Philadelphia Branch, which is a non-profit organization that supports families affected by childhood cancer. In 2021, our group organized multiple events, including a tennis tournament and music recital, to donate over $2,000 worth of toys, food, and money to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. A few days ago, we sold 25 dozen donuts at the Skippack Village July 4th Parade. I also teach a Pre-K Chinese class at Guanghua Chinese School, and watching my students go from not knowing any Chinese to being able to say simple phrases is extremely rewarding. 

One of my hobbies is playing the piano, which I have been doing for over ten years. I always spend my free time practicing (I sometimes drive my family crazy with my perfectionism), and I really enjoy performing and competing. I feel that classical music can convey so many emotions that words cannot, which is why I love expressing myself through the music I play.

I first heard about TRIP in seventh grade, and since then, I have been eagerly waiting to apply; it now feels kind of surreal to actually be a part of the TRIP family. Science has always been my favorite school subject, whether it be in the form of the double helix DNA model that my seventh grade teacher showed my class or the bubbles that form from yeast undergoing alcoholic fermentation. I find that science always has the answers to questions that rise from my curiosity, and it fascinates me to see how scientific breakthroughs can revolutionize the world we live in. 

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Today was my first day of TRIP. I got to use a micropipette for the first time, and I used my newly-acquired micropipetting skills to make fly food in preparation for our first independent project. Everyone is extremely friendly, and I can’t wait to get to know more about them. At the end of today’s session, I got to bring home a vial of flies, which is currently sitting on my windowsill. I have been watching them fly around and eat their food, and I am more than excited to come back in two days.