A little more than three hundred sixty-five days ago, I couldn’t have imagined a life in research. In fact, I didn’t even know that it was an option. Now, about three hundred sixty-five days later, I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

Coming in as a chemical engineer, it seemed predetermined for me to follow some strict pathway to success: go to school, intern at a large company, and then work directly after college. Professors spoke of job availability. Peers mentioned the salaries. Counselors talked about summer internships. But no one ever said anything about other options. To me, it didn’t seem like there were any. And I was okay with that. It all seemed that way—that is, until I participated in SIMS.

SIMS or the Summer Institute of Math and Sciences is a two-week summer bridging program for incoming freshmen that engages its interns in academic preparation, professional development, educational presentations, and research projects. On the first day of SIMS, each and every mentor highlighted the importance of research. The idea of research was completely new to me. I assumed it meant mixing two differently colored chemicals from Erlenmeyer flasks into one until something exploded or sizzled, or at least, that’s what I assumed based on what I had seen in movies and in TV shows.

To my surprise, research was anything but that. I started on a project, working on improving blood glucose monitoring systems, utilizing concepts from biology, chemistry, as well as electrical and computer engineering.

From that point on, I was hooked. I went on into a computational chemistry lab, utilizing computational chemistry programs to calculate reaction energies and other properties for organic and bioorganic molecules. And from there, I managed to stumble my way into my current lab, a drug delivery lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering, working on understanding transport processes in biological systems to develop novel devices and materials to diagnose and treat various ailments and diseases.

Research helped me display a sense of curiosity, imagination, and a love for life-long learning that I had never experienced in my classes or in any other circumstances. Research allowed me to pursue my interests in a variety of fields I never thought imaginable, learn something new and unique, as well as challenge myself in new ways.

More than that, becoming involved in research has definitely been one of the most impactful experiences for me, solidifying my aspirations to apply for graduate school and to pursue research as a career.

A year or two ago, I had no idea research was an option, or really, that research even existed. But here I am, a year or two later, completely absorbed and enveloped in everything the world of research has to offer. Now, it’s only been a couple of “365 days” so far, but I know there’ll be plenty more to come.