Abigail D.

My name is Abigail Diaz, and I am from Kentridge High School. This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Fred Hutch Research Explorers. It was not only educational but also a way to connect with peers who share the same interest in this field. I remember walking in on the first day, unsure of what to expect from this experience, all I knew was that we would learn the basics of being in a lab, and the through line would be cancer research. This experience was far more than that. I got to learn how to use different tools in a lab, and get lectures from various people who worked at Fred Hutch, and the roles they have. Fred Hutch is not only a cancer research facility, but it also focuses on a spectrum of different careers. 

Every day was filled with several lab activities, team bonding, and lessons. Each of these things taught us a lot, and it felt so nice to be able to learn things and be able to apply them in our lab activities. For example, when we took notes on CRISPR and created posters on it, the following day we did a lab about CRISPR, and I did not feel lost since we went over it and understood the background of what CRISPR did, which is cut our DNA.  

 This is a photo of my notebook showing my work from the color wheel lab where we learned how to use a micropipette. 

My highlight of the program is when we did the dye lab, which consisted of pipetting into the wells of the gel electrophoresis that where very small. We would load the dyes given to us  with a pipette into the wells and predict how fast they would move, and if they would go to the positive side or the negative side. The agarose gel was useful in the lab because it has small pores that allow small molecules to move easily compared to larger molecules. Molecules with greater charge can also move through the gel more easily compared to molecules with a lesser charge.

 This was my gel electrophoresis with the dyes after we turned it on for a couple of minutes. 

What made the program truly special, was the sense of community. Everyone—from the instructors to my fellow students—was passionate and curious. We supported each other’s learning and asked questions freely, which made the environment feel welcoming and exciting. I also loved how the program emphasized real-world applications of science, showing us that what we learn in class can lead to real change in the world.

One takeaway from this program is to follow your passion, and whatever you do, always keep a goal in mind. I am still trying to find my spark, and being able to have this incredible opportunity opened my eyes to so many pathways that I can choose to take. Since I thought that cancer research didn’t involve more than one career in biology, but it also includes computer scientists, virologists, mechanical engineers, and several other careers. Overall, this experience at Fred Hutch has deeply impacted me. I’ve learned not just about science but also about myself and the vast possibilities in the world of research. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I know the lessons and memories from this summer will stick with me for a long time.