Lauren Lisbon
Class of 2005 - Present
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Topic: 2006 RNA Interference
Topic: Chemical Cleavage of Proteins Using Cyanogen Bromide
About:
The Harlem Children’s Society 2005 summer internship has proven to be one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had. I currently reside in Harlem, NY; I am an only child and will be a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School this fall. Not only did I meet new people from around the world, I have gained a new love and appreciation for the sciences. While participating in the internship program, I have learned discipline, procedural techniques, and lab etiquette. My time spent at City Colleges’ Robert Marshak Science Building, has afforded me a more in depth knowledge of what it will take to reach my career goals.
My journey this summer began with an informal introduction to Ms. Susan Fahrenholtz, the Northeast coordinator of internships, for high school students interested in chemical science. I was given the American Chemical Society’s website by a fellow student at my high school; I contacted ACS, and they put me in touch with Ms. Fahrenholtz. After a short telephone interview, and forwarding of my current grades and my resume, she began to help me prepare for an interview with Dr. Sat Bhattacharya and Harlem Children’s Society. When I met Dr. Bhattacharya he encouraged and assured me that I would do well, this gave me confidence in my abilities, especially coming from someone as accomplished in the field of science as Dr. Bhattacharya. I was immediately reassured that I had made the right choice in pursuing this position for the summer.
During the next few weeks, I would meet my mentor Dr. Maria Tasayco, and begin research on the cleavage of E. coli thioredoxin using cyanogen bromide. The first weeks were spent reading and studying basic techniques; and becoming familiar with the lab equipment. The remaining weeks were spent performing the experiment that concluded with a positive and successful outcome of 80% to 90% cleavage. As part of the summer curriculum we were required to attend lectures every Monday and Friday at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Auditorium. It was at these lectures, that I came into contact with high school students who were currently pursuing very diverse fields of study, and who were from various parts of the world. At the lab where I interned I was privileged to work with students from Spain, Peru, Brazil, India and Sri Lanka. It was during these lectures that I began to understand how truly amazing the human body is. It was phenomenal to discover how the body reacts to diseases, viruses and bacterial malfunctions. I was also given the opportunity to join Dr. Tasayco and the fellow internist for a workshop at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Being a part of the Harlem Children’s Society internship this summer has helped me to solidify my goal to seek a career in the sciences, more specifically as a pediatrician. Having had this experience, I realize that science is not an easy field, and will require tenacity and the will power to stay focused on the prize. This opportunity has moved me a step closer in my endeavor to obtain that prize through education and personal growth.