The Beginning of a Fruitful TRIP by David Benjamin

Hello! My name is David Benjamin, and I am currently a rising senior at Hatboro Horsham Highschool. In school, I am involved in a diverse handful of clubs and activities. I am vice president of NHS, head of Feed-a-Friend (a local food drive organization), and an active member of Key Club, Ski Club, FBLA, and Stocks and Investment Club. Lacrosse is my main sport – I am a midfielder, face-off man, and captain – but I have also dabbled in other sports, such as soccer, golf, and intramural basketball. Outside of school, I work as a caddy at Old York Country Club, volunteer at Manna on Main Street and other organizations, and am self-studying JavaScript. In my free time, I like to play any type of sports, lift, eat Chipotle, and listen to music (mostly hip-hop or indie).

Why TRIP? I wanted to fill my summer with a meaningful activity that revolved around my interests in STEM. While brainstorming ideas, my sister’s boyfriend recommended looking into Fox Chase, since he completed one of their high school research programs a few years ago. This led me to discover TRIP – a program that would allow me to explore my passions in math and science by conducting a unique independent investigation. The fact that I would be able to research my own hypothesis was fascinating to me. It is not often that a high schooler has the opportunity to explore a field of personal interest with access to highly qualified mentors and tons of lab equipment. Additionally, I am currently unsure of which STEM major I would like to pursue in college, so I hope that TRIP provides me with some guidance in that aspect.

This past Tuesday was my first day in the lab, and it reminded me a little of AP Biology, one of my favorite classes, except with fancier equipment! I collaborated with new friends to complete math problems, learned how to properly use micropipettes, and prepared drug and food mixtures for fruit flies. I even won a $5 Wawa gift card during an icebreaker activity! After a plethora of positive experiences during the first day, I am very excited for what is yet to come.