LTD (Luke’s TRIP Diaries) Entry 1 by Luke Jang

Hey! My name is Luke and I’m a junior at Garnet Valley High School in Garnet Valley, PA. Even though I got snowed in on the first day, I’m excited to join the TRIP family. I applied here because scientific research has always been a big interest of mine, and what better way to gain some experience? Especially as someone who wants to pursue a STEM career (specifically, neuroscience), it was a no-brainer.

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Anyways, a little bit about me: my family of five immigrated to the states from South Korea when I was 4, bouncing around between Texas, the Midwest, and eventually in PA. My cultural identity is a big part of who I am – the language, the food, the culture, are all integral to my life. I have too many interests and hobbies to count: I love sports and staying active – if I’m not at home, you can find me at the soccer field. Music is also a huge part of who I am. Check out my Spotify if you don’t believe me; 30 playlists, 2,000 liked songs, I mean it when I say I listen to EVERYTHING. I’ve also picked up reading recently (I just finished When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthini – go check it out!!). I’m also just a typical teenage dude sometimes: I like playing video games (I’ve been on Rocket League lately) and hanging out with my guys.

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In and out of school, I’d like to think I’m pretty involved. I try to make the most of time as I can, and I think I do it pretty successfully. The spring of my freshman year, me and my friends founded a nonprofit organization, Plover at Garnet Valley, that donates hygiene products to underserved communities. I’m involved in the soccer and track teams as a varsity letterman, and even dabbled in some rec league basketball this winter. Beyond that, I’m the president of our NHS chapter, part of the FBLA and HOSA teams, and a member of Annenberg Research Club, which was actually where I heard about TRIP for the first time from my alumni friends (thanks, Victoria and Ethan). Whether it’s solving integrals in AP Calc or volunteering at my church’s Korean School, I’d like to think that I’m giving my best effort in everything that I do.

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For my kickoff experiment, I’ll be measuring how Valerian and disrupted circadian rhythms affect fly anxiety. Even though my first week of class was put on hold by the weather, I’m excited to see what TRIP holds in store for me!