TRIPping into Research by Sophia Rajan

Hello! My name is Sophia Rajan and I’m currently a junior at William Tennent High School. I’m very excited to be a part of TRIP! I’ve always had a desire to pursue a career in the medical field that specializes in pediatric care, however schooling for this type of career requires a lot of work in labs. This is a subject I have little experience in, so when I heard about the TRIP program, I jumped at the opportunity. When researching this program, I was fascinated by the possibility of conducting my own research and gaining lab experience. In school, I’m involved in many clubs and organizations such as student government, various national honor societies, and community service organizations. I am also an officer for the Science National Honor Society. 

Outside of school, I spend countless hours in dance classes and spending time with my friends and family. I’ve been a dancer for over eight years. I stay connected to my Indian culture by participating in a classical form of dance in South India called Bharatanatyam. I have also explored various other styles of dance such as hip hop, contemporary, and jazz. My dancing has allowed me to raise money for cancer research and support charities including Artists Helping Artists. Dance has also allowed me to travel across the country and visit exciting destinations such as Disney World.

In our first session of TRIP, we completed tasks on lab safety, learned how to use micropipettes, and mixed fly food in vials. We created vials with our individual research questions in mind. My research questions aimed to discover the effects of Ginkgo Biloba and head trauma on anxiety. I had to create a solution with an exact concentration of Ginkgo Biloba to mix in the vials of the experiment group. We ended the session by receiving a vial of flies to take home and observe for the week. I’m very excited and looking forward to learning more in the coming sessions!