August 21, 2013

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I cannot believe that it is week nine of the UCLEADS program! My fellow UCLEADS colleagues and I have only one week left. This experience has taught me various things, ranging from determining the type of lab environment/culture I want to work under to the graduate school application process.

To begin with, the most important realization I made in the Szumlinski Lab was that regardless of where I end up pursing a higher degree, I would like to work in a collaborative setting where there exists many interactions with my fellow research colleagues. Having seen in less collaborative settings, I really appreciate that in the Szumlinski lab, the professor, the graduate students, and lab technicians were open about their personal life which I appreciated, especially their transparency. In other words, I would like to be in a work environment where there is a balance between both one’s personal and professional life.

In regards to the UCLEADS/Eureka/ CEEM events, I noticed some common themes throughout the seminars and talks like the importance of networking, taking advantage of all the opportunities offered, keeping an open-mind, and time management skills.  Actually, my favorite seminar was our last one which consisted of a panel of faculty members who shared their journey. There were a total of three professors: a computer scientist, an engineer, and a biologist. A very diverse panel! And I had the opportunity to ask two questions: “What is one thing you wish you knew as an undergraduate applying to graduate school?” and “Besides establishing a good relationship with your mentor, what are three factors to take into consideration when applying to or deciding on a graduate program?”

One of the challenges I faced with the program was the bi-weekly powerpoint presentations. Let’s just say… I have refined my public speaking skills since then! Although I found it difficult to present, I enjoyed it at the same time because I had the opportunity to hone my skills in preparation for my final talk and the UCLEADS Symposium. It was definitely a love-hate relationship! I would say one of my favorite events was the poster session. I felt satisfied with my end product (poster) and a lot more comfortable talking about my project. Funny story: I was actually surprised by my parents and siblings before my poster session. I had invited my parents the night before and was not expecting anything from them since I understood that my dad had a very tight work schedule. My father assured me that they were not going to be able to make it because he has a lot of work and that his car was having some problems, blah blah, blah. You know parent’s stuff! However, he said this intentionally to mess with me! Long story short, my family surprised me, and I was completely speechless. Despite a language barrier (because they primarily speak Spanish and very little English) they managed to show up to demonstrate their unconditional love and support. To be honest, I do not think they understood why I was doing what I was doing in lab, but I did not expect them to. I simply appreciated and cherished their presence. In addition, my mentor and professor also attended which made me feel great and loved. At the end of such a successful day, I was a happy camper!

Knowing that the end of the program is near, I feel like I have not only grown on a professional but a personal level. Being surrounded by motivated STEM students, I feel determined to apply to different professional societies and attend out-of-state conferences to present my research. I am dying of thirst to create opportunities for myself and open new doors while keeping an open-mind. Furthermore, I was inspired by a fond friend of mine, who is the co-founder and president of UCSB’s oSTEM club, to start up a club in Davis where both the LGBT (& allies) and STEM communities come together. I find this to be a great opportunity to bring diversity to my home-campus and am very excited to give this a try!

To all those of you who are high school students going to college or if you are a first or second year college student, I strongly recommend you apply to any of the research programs offered at your college. I can guarantee you that you will grow in many ways!

To conclude, I would like to take the time and thank my mentor, Sierra, for all her patience, time, support, and dedication. I appreciate her not only as a mentor but most importantly as a friend. I feel fortunate to have a mentor who shares a similar mentality which allowed us to connect on a deeper level.  Thank you for all the advise and deep conversations about life! Dr. Karen Szumlinski, again, I am so thankful to you for giving me such a great opportunity to work in your lab. I can honestly say that I leave the lab with some lifetime friendships. Thank you for opening your doors to me! Finally, I would like to thank the first two individuals I met from the lab, Christina and Megan. Right from the beginning these girls made me feel included and comfortable. From the smallest things, like inviting me to go grab a cup of coffee to getting invited to going kayaking and Megan’s going-away lab dinner. You girls made me feel welcomed and for that I will always be thankful!

Thank you everyone in Szumlinski’s and Kippin’s lab that made this a fun and memorable experience!