Tavarez, Greysi
Class of 2005
Freeport High School
Topic: Effects of Surfactants on Non-Polar Material Analysis
About:
I completed the Harlem Children Society Research Program at South Mall Analytical Lab in Plainview, New York. I plan to go college after I graduate in June 2006 and plan to major in Veterinary Medicine. I am an ambitious person who strives to succeed in everything I do. One of the reasons I joined the program was to be able to work along with the states brightest and determined minds, along with the experience of working among people that are successful in life.
The interview with Dr. Sat Bhattacharya was a wonderful experience because I got the chance to understand what would be needed of me in this program. Since it was the first thing I’ve ever been interviewed for I really appreciated the experience. When I entered the interview room I was greeted by a friendly hand from Dr. Sat, and immediately started explaining why I was interested in the internship, and what my plans for the future are. I expressed my interest in science, especially veterinary science, and answered questions critical for the selection process. I was one out of about 12 students being interview for the position, and me along with 6 other students got the internship.
The HCS research program was a wonderful experience that I am grateful I had the chance to experience. It required for each student to travel to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center every Monday and Friday, and to their assigned laboratory Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Each student was assigned a mentor from his or her assigned laboratory, and a project was required to be completed by the end of the program. Every Monday and Friday, when all the students of the program came together, a different demonstration was made by different students of the program, where they expressed what they have been working on. This was done through a power point presentation. We also had to hand in a report on the project demonstrated in the power point presentation.
My research was completed in an environmental laboratory. My partner and I focused on the effects of surfactants and contamination on the NPM analysis. We had a wonderful mentor along with wonderful co-mentors that guided us through our whole process as interns. One of the wonderful things about our research in the environmental lab was that we got to experience first hand how this field of science is, and what is required to be able to do that job. Not only did we complete our project successfully, but we also had the privilege to work among professionals in this field of science. My partner and I learned about procedures, techniques and basic knowledge needed to complete their work. Another aspect that aided us during this research program was the fact that the staffs at the laboratory were friendly and aided us with any difficulties.
The various weekly HCS seminars were a great experience because I had the opportunity to learn what other students in the program were doing. Through these presentations that the other students created I was able to learn what was expected of me, since I was a first time student. One of the best things about the meetings was that we were able to interact with other students. We also had lectures from expert presenters that admired our work, and expressed what they did for a living to us.
This experience will follow me positively in everything I do in life. The chance I was given to complete such an important task help me build even more confidence to do well in life. This experience has given me the chance to meet enlightened students that have similar interests as me. This program has supplied me with an ability to understand the work that is needed in order to succeed in anything you do. It could be respectfully said that this journey has and will forever help me in pursuing and completing my dream to study veterinary medicine.