One of the most memorable experiences that I had during these two weeks at Fred Hutch through the Explorers Program was getting to work with HeLa cells. I remember having first read about them in 8th grade. Having the opportunity to work with them especially after knowing the history and the story behind them was a truly indescribable experience/opportunity. The first day of the program we all worked with HeLa cells and the fact that it was my first time actually using lab equipment was a nerve wracking experience. That day we made HeLa splats, which basically meant dropping the cells from a pipet from a great height in order to break the cell. We did this so that later on we could stain the slide that the cells broke onto then see the chromosomes inside the cells and see what stages they were in under the microscope.
Being given the opportunity to have such a unique experience that not many others have, has definitely made this one of my most exciting summers by far. Although I experienced a lot through simply being in the lab, listening to the speakers that came in and talked to us about current research that they were doing or simply telling us about their path into science helped me gain an even better understanding that there are many pathways a person can take to get to where they want to be.
Although my time at Fred Hutch has been short, I have had the chance to participate in countless activities that I never really imagined myself capable of doing, especially at my age. I also got to bear witness to the many amazing things that are taking place within Fred Hutch. Such as all the wonderful research, the level of dedication of outreach, and the overall connection between all the employees that is due in part to the diversity and amount of respect and genuine care that they all have for each other.
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