“6 continents, 92 countries, and 41 states. These numbers represent the entire Applied Science and Engineering session of Yale Young Global Scholars this past summer. I really enjoyed my seminars since I was able to explore biochemistry through a variety of approaches: drug development, cancer biology, toxin mechanics, and bioethics.”
Last year, I started a club at my high school that allows students to connect with professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other professionals in the STEM fields; students either attend a professor’s forum held at our school or visit a university laboratory.
My initiative behind starting this club was to provide all students with opportunities to explore their own scientific passions outside of the textbook and classroom. My school doesn’t offer many resources for students thinking about a career in STEM, so I wanted to make that more accessible. As students attend various talks, they may find a professor’s research to be fascinating and possibly earn a summer internship.
I was also inspired to make this club because I had a five-week internship this past summer at the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research with the Ge Lab. I learned the importance of top-down proteomics, the study of intact proteins, and how slight modifications can indicate cardiovascular diseases. I analyzed data in protein found in heart tissue samples after they were separated by reverse phase liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.