My TRIP by Victoria Li

​Hello everyone! My name is Victoria Li and I’m a sophomore at Garnet Valley High School.

My love for science started in my elementary school classrooms. As I grew older, the increasingly complex scientific ideas and explanations I was being introduced to drew me closer to the subject. However, I did feel an absence of one thing: the feeling of true research. Although I did do experiments within my science classes, they were always ones that had been done several times before me, and I could find the results of them with a few clicks on a computer. In my biology class in 9th grade, however, my end-of-year assessment was an independent research project. I was able to conduct an experiment based on my curiosities and derive results that hadn’t been done hundreds of times before, and I loved the feeling of discovery I felt. Through TRIP, I hope to not only gain insight into more advanced research but also feel the sense of discovery and fulfillment I felt with my independent research project. ​

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In school, I participate in quite a few clubs and activities. I am a part of my school’s Science Olympiad team where I compete in the forensics, codebusters, and experimental design events. I also compete on my school’s speech and debate team in an impromptu style debate called parliamentary, and will soon be representing them at districts! In addition to this, I’m an officer for my school’s Future Medical and Science Professionals, where my fellow officers and I are in charge of inviting professionals working in STEM and/or medical fields to talk to students with the goal of sparking interest in these fields. Athletics-wise, I run cross-country during the fall and do track for the winter and spring seasons, where I mainly compete in long and triple jump. However, last year, I was put in the 4x100 for the Penn Relay PIAA 9th Grade Girls 4x100, and my relay team and I won 1st place! It was such a fun and exhilarating experience. Furthermore, I sing for my school’s select choir. I’ve been involved in music since I was 5 with the piano, but it took me a while to realize that my outlet for this was not an instrument, but my voice. 

Outside of school, I run an animal welfare non-profit. My passion for this cause started when I was 3 through my love for the little dog that lived across the street from me, and has only been amplified through the years. I also spend my Friday nights volunteering at my local animal shelter, Rags2Riches. Seeing the animals who have gone through the most cruel conditions start and take on the journey of healing and trust has not only deepened my devotion to the cause but also inspired me in my personal life. I also teach K-5th graders mathematics for the Delaware Chester Community School on Sundays, and it is such a rewarding and fun experience. 

On Day 1 of TRIP, I’ve already partaken in new experiences through learning about serial dilution, micro pipetting, and creating fly food for my kickoff experiment! Inspired by the concussion I got from a bus window last year, my kickoff experiment is going to test the effects of head trauma and Rhodiola on anxiety. Rhodiola (a type of plant) root powder is believed to help with stress, something that has strong effects on anxiety. On top of this, I have taken home a vial containing approximately 30 new pets! As fruit flies do reproduce quite quickly, I’m expecting to have several more in the coming week. Although I’ve only had one day in the TRIP lab, I am ecstatic to create bonds with my TRIP family while continuing my exploration in the field of science.