Isabella’s TRIP Reflection by Isabella Javadi

I liked the structure of the program. Lab time was heavily integrated into the schedule and having career talks was beneficial as a 17 year old looking for guidance. I enjoyed performing assays and I believe that they were relatively easy to perform. Although adjusting to higher-tech equipment was tough, I got the hang of it quickly. For example, I had never used a micropipette. If I did not learn how to use it, I would not have been able to perform the assays. Having instructions from the TAs before we performed the assays was helpful. Although writing lab protocol out the day before was helpful, I believe seeing how to perform the assays in person is more effective. I liked the career talks but I wish there were more orators from the hospital side of Fox Chase. Dr. Rall’s talk resonated with me the most because he took time to explain the type of people that are good scientists. This was very helpful to a high school audience looking to see if science would be heavily integrated into their futures. My favorite part of this program was being in a professional lab environment. I was able to use different types of equipment which will better prepare me for my future (whether in a college lab setting or a research career). I also enjoyed how close I was able to get with other TRIP students. This made TRIP more fun. Overall, this program positively impacted my interest in science and research. I now know that I like the research side of science which will be helpful to know for my future.

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