Harold Colon
Class of 2005 - Present
Freeport High School
Topic: 2006 - How Safe is Seafood?
Presentation (ppt)
Research paper (pdf)
Topic: The Effects of Contamination on NPM Analysis
About:
Over the summer vacation I was given the chance to participate in one of the greatest organizations that exist today. Dr. Sat Bhattacharya, the president of the Harlem Children Society, came to Freeport High School and interviewed 13 students. He elected only six to be part of his organization. I was one of those fortunate individuals to be chosen. After being chosen we were placed in labs in which we had a mentor and several co-mentors. I was placed in South Mall Analytical Labs in Plainview, New York (this lab was an environmental lab). My mentor Dr. Mike Miller had me and my lab partner Greysi Tavarez, also from Freeport, focus on sewage waste treatment.
The title of our Project is The Effect of Surfactants and Contamination on NPM Analysis. We spent the next eight weeks attending this lab and the seminars we had at Sloan-Kettering, a medical hospital in NY. Although medicine is my passion I gained a great deal of experience on what research is through environmental research. We were expected to attend weekly seminars\talks at Sloan-Kettering. Once there we had guest speakers give us lectures and several students presented their work. Through their work I was provided with a better insight into my future career.
Ever since I was a little boy, medicine has always been my passion. I am aware that medicine seems to be one of the most prominent fields in which many lives are influenced do to that fact that everyone is affected by it. Medicine is also one of the most competitive careers out there today. I also recognize that I must go through intense schooling and many hours of researching. I will encounter many difficulties but I know that with my determination and hard work I will pursue in what today is my career dream and tomorrow will be my goal accomplished.
I am very grateful that I was giving the opportunity to participate in an outstanding foundation. I view my experience over the summer as a privilege given to me, whom any others wish to have but are not fortunate to get. Medicine was not what I researched over the summer but researching environmental research was an experience gained and an experience that will surely help me pursue a dream.
I cannot express my gratitude to those extraordinary doctors and scientists and how wonderful it was working alongside them. The Harlem Children Society and South Mall Labs served as a source in enhancing my knowledge in scientific research. I will carry these great people and foundation for many years to come.