The Start of My TRIP by Mitchell Morin

​Hello! I am Mitchell Morin and a junior from William Tennent HS, the home of TRIP. I’ve always been interested in STEM and have been part of my school’s robotics team since I joined in 7th grade. This year, I am proud to be the programming team lead. In addition to robotics, I have enjoyed numerous challenging science and CS courses that I’ve taken throughout high school. I hope to apply some of the knowledge I have learned in those classes, as well as all of the skills I will develop throughout TRIP, to meaningful, hands-on research unlike any opportunity I’ve had before.

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​During TRIP, I am excited to work with others who share my passions. I’m eager to collaborate with peers and mentors to overcome the various obstacles I will face and ultimately grow as a person. The skills that I gain from this program, such as critical thinking, data analysis, and (perhaps most importantly) communication, will translate directly towards my future journey after TRIP. Overall, I hope that I become more confident as a person and that some of the connections that I make with like-minded scientists will persist long after the program.

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​That being said, why jump ahead? Yesterday was the beginning of my TRIP experience, and it was a great day. It was a pleasure to meet everyone in session A and all of the great mentors! After the icebreaker activity, we explored the lab to familiarize ourselves with all of the materials and safety precautions. Then, we learned all about micropipettes (why are so many different things called pipettes anyway?) and how to use them. After that, we took some group photos before returning to the lab. Next, I solved some problems on diluting stock solutions to desired concentrations. I already had some experience with this in AP Chem, but it was a great review and reminder to always be careful with units. Finally, I began preparing four vials of fly food for my kickoff experiment, which is “How do Melatonin and a disrupted circadian rhythm affect female fertility rates?”. I definitely made mistakes, but I’m confident that I will learn from them and improve! Oh, and for my fellow Eagles fans, GO BIRDS!

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​I’m eager to collaborate with peers and mentors to overcome the various obstacles I will face and ultimately grow as a person.