The Start of An Exciting Journey! by Shreya Harikrishnan

A big lesson that I have learned so far is that you should never be afraid to make mistakes because it challenges you to analyze, learn, and probably make new ones.

Hi everyone! My name is Shreya Harikrishnan and I'm a junior at North Penn High School. Fun fact, I'm not from Pennsylvania; I actually was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, moved to Virginia, and finally made my way to Pennsylvania. I guess that’s where my passion for traveling comes from! I love spending quality time with my family, gaining new experiences, and meeting new people from different backgrounds. Some of my hobbies include working out, photography, and traveling. So far I have been to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Peru, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, India (many many times), Nepal, and Canada. I love learning about new cultures, going on new adventures, and sporting my adventurous characteristics. When I’m not running like a machine, I like to binge watch movies and tv shows and recently, I have been obsessed with Cobra Kai, Riverdale, Nancy Drew, and Pretty Little Liars on Netflix.

At school, I am actively involved in many clubs but some of my favorites are the Future Health Occupations Club, Thespians, and Women's Choir. Outside of school, I play the violin in the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, take Indian classical voice lessons, take harmonium lessons (the harmonium is an Indian classical instrument similar to the accordion), recently started learning to play Indian classical violin, volunteer at the Abington Hospital, and serve as a board member on a nonprofit organization (KAFO) that supports a rural village in West Africa for education and healthcare needs. ​

I am involved in TRIP because I want to expand my scientific knowledge, gain the experience of conducting hands on research, and enhance my collaboration skills. This program really correlates with my interests in the medical sciences and will provide me the platform to seek insights into the scientific questions I have. I am so excited to engage in intriguing scientific discussions and collaborate with all of you! I aspire to become a Pediatric Neurosurgeon and I am eager to see how this program cultivates my motivations and interests!

The past three weeks have just flown by but they have been a blast! From making fly food and grape plates to sorting flies, I have definitely learned a lot and I can safely say that I enjoy sorting flies more than I could ever imagine! A big lesson that I have learned so far is that you should never be afraid to make mistakes because it challenges you to analyze, learn, and probably make new ones. I have also enjoyed getting to know my peers and my instructor although it is a little difficult when you're six feet apart. Looking down the road, I can’t wait to start developing my independent project and see where it takes me!