Let's Fly Through My Life by Tanzeela Rafe

Hi everyone! My name is Tanzeela and I am a senior at William Tennent High School. I am super excited for the upcoming weeks of getting to know everyone while learning more about the realm of scientific research! ​

In school, I am an active participant in many clubs and activities such as the National Science Honor Society, Key Club, and the Muslim Student Association, which I founded back in my sophomore year and am now the President of. One of my most meaningful projects with the MSA was in my junior year where we created a donation drive for victims of the earthquake that struck Turkey. We had a very short time frame to plan and collect items, but within three days our community joined together and supplied numerous boxes of jackets, hand warmers, and first aid essentials. It was amazing to see the involvement and success of this donation drive, and to know that it had an impact on many lives. 
Aside from academics, I have several hobbies that fill up my time. One of my favorites is acrylic painting and Arabic calligraphy! I have always been a crafty person, but I took on calligraphy and painting about four years ago. Since then, I have created social media and Etsy pages to showcase and sell my artwork! Alongside art, I enjoy being outdoors, playing tennis, and spending time with my family and friends.

This past summer, I participated in a Hepatitis B research internship where I was introduced to the world of biotechnology research. I learned that a career in research demands creativity in formulating hypotheses and designing experiments, attention to detail, and organization- qualities that I always associated with my artistic pursuits. This internship served as a gateway to the field of biomedical research, but I joined TRIP to be able to truly solidify my passion for this career path. TRIP offers me the opportunity to connect the practical applications of science to the biological foundations taught throughout my courses while gaining hands-on lab experience and creating and conducting my own experiment.

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This past Saturday was the first day in the lab, and there was already so much I learned! I got the chance to get to know everyone through the fun icebreaker, practice my micropipetting skills, and learn how to create food for our fruit flies. For our Kickoff Experiment, I am testing the effects of Fenugreek and a high-sugar diet on female fertility. I chose this experimental question particularly because Fenugreek is a staple ingredient in my Indian household and I wanted to see the health benefits it holds. I am extremely grateful and excited to embark on this journey with TRIP, and to see where these next few weeks take me!