Alejandro Nieves
Class of 2005 - Present
Thurgood Marshall Academy
Topic: 2006 Radioactive Antibody Treatment of C. Neoforman Infection
Topic: How to find DNA Melting point using perl?
Research Paper (pdf)
About:
I am 16 years old and have many dreams and goals for the future, one of them being to someday be a doctor (A cardiologist, or neurologist). I am the type of person who is eager to learn new things and very outgoing and hoped someday to get an insight in the medical field or science field, and who would’ve thought I would that opportunity would turn up?
Working at Harlem Children Society this summer was a wonderful experience and very educational. When I first heard about this program I did not know what I was getting myself into however, I appreciate that I joined because if I hadn’t I probably would’ve missed one of the best experiences in my life. I first heard about Harlem Children Society through my science teacher, I am a student who excelled in biology and she knew that I was looking for a future in the medical field and therefore thought this would be a great opportunity for, she wasn’t wrong. However, it seemed that students before me were already in this program and one of those students, Eunice Asare, talked to me about what her summer was like and how she gained many experiences through Harlem Children Society. Now having an insight into the program I could not wait for the day of the interview. At first I was nervous; however, it wasn’t long until I met the person who would decide if I got in or not - Dr. Sat. Now the interview wasn’t bad and I quickly became comfortable due to Dr. Sat’s welcoming atmosphere. I answered him honestly and hoped for the best.
After being accepted I was introduced to my mentor/ Supervisor and that was and still is Dr. Yuying Gosser who works as a professor at the city college of New York. Working with her I gained knowledge about Bioinformatics and Engineering. During the first half of the summer I came to classes were professor from all over came and gave speeches about the different topic which related to bio informatics. The next half I was working and creating my own scripts (Programs that are typed manually and are used with a program called “Perl”) using the Perl language. As I worked, I was surrounded by under graduates and graduates alike and they assisted me throughout as well as Dr. Yuying Gosser. Not only was I gaining valuable experiences but at the same time I was getting an insight into chemistry, a course I had yet to take, and this made it a little difficult to me but it was all part of the learning process and I knew I could count on Dr. Yuying Gosser when I needed help.
The result was the creation of a Perl program which could read a DNA sequence and calculate the melting point. I was proud of my self for it was an arduous task but I completed it. I did something that most people my age wouldn’t even dream of doing until they got to college. All together this summer was one of experience, learning, and meeting new people. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and I was fortunate enough to have experienced it, an educational experience which equipped me with the knowledge of being the best you can be.