The TRIP of a Lifetime by Maegan Sojan

Hello everyone! My name is Maegan Sojan, and I’m currently a junior at Great Valley High School. A little about me - I love baking all kinds of desserts, am an avid crossword puzzle enthusiast (especially the NY Times Minis), and love watching movies with my family! Within my school community, I’m part of a diverse array of clubs and activities. For the past two years, I’ve served as an officer for our Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Club, cultivating a community of girls with a passion for STEM. I’m also an active member in our school’s GirlUp Club, Science Olympiad, NHS, and the student forum (part of our student council). Outside the classroom, I’ve been able to explore and develop my interests in women’s advocacy, specifically through a program called the Girl’s Advisory Board (GAB). Here, I’ve learned about the various needs of women and girls in Chester County like poverty, domestic violence, and reproductive care. Through the program, we’ve been able to tackle some of these issues by awarding grants to local nonprofits and volunteering at them, as well. Through advocating for others, it has sparked an interest in me to make healthcare accessible to all, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

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Being involved in activities that focus on improving gender equality, I’ve taken an interest in pursuing a career in the reproductive sciences. However, I know there are a plethora of pathways in medicine and wouldn’t want to limit myself to just one specialty. Through TRIP, I hope to discover other careers that I may like just as much as reproductive healthcare, or maybe even weed out fields I don’t particularly enjoy! As a result, I’m excited to conduct my initial experiment on the effects of licorice and soap on the fruit flies’ mood. I’m also eager to further enhance my lab skills and become more comfortable in making mistakes. In my previous science classes, I haven’t had access to such fancy equipment and always operated under the guidance of my teachers. I hope to navigate my way around the lab and this newfound independence as the weeks go on! 

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My first day in the lab was nerve-racking, exciting, and adventurous, all at once. I got to know all of the students in my session a little better through the icebreaker, but unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to win the WAWA gift card! Afterwards, we were given a tutorial on how to use the micropipette and were allowed to practice on our own, before using them to set up our own vials. At first, I was a little shaky in setting up the vial, but with each round of micro-pipetting, mixing, and measuring, I became more comfortable in creating my treatments. With even just the four vials I set up, I quickly fell into the rhythm of finding my way around the lab. I have to admit, the solutions and dilutions packet we were given to work on was definitely not the most exciting, but I look forward to completing those problems with ease towards the end of the program!

 With even just the four vials I set up, I quickly fell into the rhythm of finding my way around the lab.

Overall, my first day couldn’t have gone better! I met so many new people, and the atmosphere was very lively - with all of us enjoying the music while we worked. I can’t wait to go on this journey and take you with me; thanks for reading and I hope you stick around!