Dr. Kwan's Research Lab by Ella

Dr. Kwan's Research Lab by Ella - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

It all began with my cover letter for the job I was applying to; I was applying to take care of lab fish at my University, when I didn’t get the job because the hours didn’t work out, however, the employer clearly read my cover letter. In my cover letter I talk about my interest in becoming an ophthalmologist. In her emailed response to my job application, she gave me the name of a researcher at my University who was studying the morphogenesis of fish eyes: Dr. Kwan. I was nervous to reach out because I am a first year freshman. I got the courage to email Dr. Kwan about being involved in her eye research. She got right back to me and we planned to meet up and discuss her research. After chatting she told me I could start doing research under the post doc students in her lab. Since then, I have begun a wonderful adventure of research this first semester. I have learned so much about how labs work, reactions, and so much about the development of animals. Everyone in the lab is so kind and impacts me in the most positive way, I couldn’t ask for a better research group to be apart of. My two mentors Emily and Pratima are so patient with me, they take the time to really help me learn what I am doing in the lab. Everyone in the lab treats me like I am one of them.
I have dreamed of going to medical school, however, doing research in this lab has made me want to continue to do research. Even if I do go on to medical school I hope as a doctor I do some research so I can always be learning about new things. It’s a cool feeling being apart of research because I feel like I am apart of something bigger, that is really doing something to help humans in the future, it also gives me a sense of community within the lab which I don’t have anywhere else. I wish everyone could do research once in their life because it has opened my eyes to the countless possibilities of the things I can learn about. Knowing that I will never stop learning through my life has excited me for my future and I am looking forward to continuing in Dr. Kwan’s research lab.