These past two weeks have been the longest and most memorable days I have probably ever experienced. The relationship between people became stronger as each day came by and the amount of learning I gained was almost unbelievable. When I first heard about Fred hutch I had no intention of joining but the day that I returned to school after being gone for a week because of a medical issue, I was kind of interested in opening up to trying new things. The first day of the program I was shocked by how quickly I felt comfortable in a room full of strangers and their intentions to get to know each other.
Unlike school where we are given lessons and then evaluate them for several weeks before we can start the actual lab, we began the lab that same day which although I was a bit confused at first I got the hang of it and the teachers didn't hesitate to clarify my confusions. I must admit I felt pretty dumb compared to everyone else in the room because there were things that they would discuss and I had no clue about. Alicia Morales came in to speak about two different topics and they both stood out to me on a very personal level.
Alicia began by talking about the immune system which I got excited about since I felt as though I could contribute to the conversation. The immune system lecture went great but her second lecture felt as though she had read my mind. Imposter syndrome was something I had never heard of before but the moment she began talking it was almost as if she was directing it towards me. “This psychological phenomenon, known as imposter syndrome, reflects a belief that you're inadequate, a fraud and incompetent failure despite evidence that indicates you are skilled and quite successful.” this made me feel so comfortable and I could connect to more people and allowed me to ask questions without being afraid that I might be the only one who didn't know.
During one of the tours, we visited the zebrafish lab and I realized how amazing science really is. I was so intrigued by looking at the fish under the microscope and being able to look at so many parts of its body and how it all worked together was something that I will remember when I think back to the explorers program.
One of the first labs we did was looking at HeLa cells by using a technique called splat in order to view the genetic material of cancer cells that have been arrested in metaphase and by using a microscope we were able to look at the parts of the cell.
Although these two weeks have come to an end the amount of new ideas I have now about what my future might include has expanded. I want to thank the Explorer's program for opening my mind to endless possibilities in the science field and allowing me to experience things I wouldn't have if it weren't for the resources that were given to me here at Fred Hutch.
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