If you were to ask me four years ago what I thought I would be doing now, “high school me” would have said she had absolutely no clue, but that I might be wearing a lab coat. Four years later as a senior at UNH, I am happy to report that I do indeed spend much of my time wearing a lab coat, gloves, and goggles. However, the extent of what I do day-to-day is something the younger version of me never would have expected.
As a genetics major, my daily routine consists of getting up, going to my classes, and spending lots of time in a research lab. I am currently in my second year of conducting undergraduate research on the blocking of gene expression in microscopic parasitic worms. My project is part of a larger study with the main goal of developing a safer, more effective nematicide for commercial agriculture. I began working on this project in August 2023 and created my own project, funded by a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in 2024, using RNA interference to block gene expression. Being a part of this project has been the most incredible, rewarding experience of my life and I have learned so much, but not necessarily just about genetics.
While participating in research, I have learned about myself both academically and personally. I applied many skills that were taught to me in the classroom and struggled through questions to find my own unique answers. I replicated physical experiments I read about in my textbooks and came to my own research conclusions. Most importantly, I learned what an incredible feeling it is to have experiments go exactly the way you planned and be able to continue with your research project.
My research has taught me a great deal in an academic sense, but the things I have learned about myself are even more extensive. Being in the research lab for over twenty hours a week gave me a huge sense of self-worth. I discovered that I am a driven, hardworking individual who loves to learn more about the world around me. I found my sense of time management and an overall balance of work and play. I realized that I pride myself in my research results and love to tell people all about my project. I found that no words can describe the joy that being in a lab coat and goggles brings me.
Research is a multi-layered experience that can often be a roller coaster of emotions. I have felt highs and lows while conducting research, but I truly would not be the person I am today without it. Research has given me many things, but the most significant thing I gained from this experience is something that cannot be taught in a classroom: confidence. Confidence to try new protocols and research unknown questions. Confidence to defend my results against naysayers. Confidence to gather everything I learned in my research project and use it to apply for graduate school. I have grown into my own individual with a passion all thanks to undergraduate research.
Navigating research is a privilege that some college students are unable to take advantage of. My choice to participate in research at UNH has altered my professional and personal life for the better. I honestly cannot stress enough how important I think it is for anyone and everyone to get involved in research. Learning in lectures and classrooms is a great foundation but being able to apply those skills and discover unique factors about yourself is the reason I fell in love with research. Being responsible for answering your own questions is so powerful and creates this intense yearning for knowledge that I cannot describe. Without it, I would not be pursuing graduate school in order to conduct more research projects that will eventually lead me to my dream career in gene therapy development.
