It’s Not About the Destination, It’s About the Journey and How You Adapt to It
June 13, 2023
Hello! My name is Joseph Koski and I recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience along with a minor in Medical Diagnostics. This upcoming fall, I will be continuing my education at the University of Delaware to obtain my master's degree in cognitive neuroscience and I further hope to go on to earn a PhD in a related field.
Compared to many of my peers, I took a rather unusual pathway to get where I am. Throughout high school, I was always interested in healthcare and the concept of being the first person to discover something. However, I tossed all of this to the side and decided to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware. After my first semester of freshman year, I quickly decided engineering was not for me and went undeclared for my second freshman semester. During this second semester, I realized my passion was within the field of neuroscience, leading to me becoming involved in various labs around campus for the duration of my undergraduate studies. All in all, one crucial life lesson I learned during my undergraduate studies was not to compare yourself to others. Pursuing a career in research can appear daunting as you will be surrounded by colleagues who are at different levels of schooling. Remember that everyone experiences different paths to the same destination and it's okay if yours is a little unique.
I did not hear about this program until my senior year of college, so I figured that this program was not for me. Regardless, I sent in an application. Upon learning more about the cancer center and the program as a whole, I became excited about the doors in research that could be opened by this program. While it did not directly correlate to my studies, I saw this program as an opportunity to gain significant and structured research experience, since unfortunately, the pandemic took away many research opportunities during my time as an undergrad. My excitement about the program continued to increase as I got further into the application process and began getting interviews with Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra. Still, I was a little nervous about starting this program as I felt I had a different background in my research experience and little to no background in wet labs. Despite this, I continued on and ultimately received an offer into the program, which I accepted with excitement.
Being a full two weeks into the program has helped me get rid of all my initial concerns and I have found myself settling in fairly well. The first week was long and required a lot of work, however, this allowed me to quickly immerse myself in the field of cancer biology as well as form relationships with other peers in the program. In the second week, I started in my assigned lab, and I became really excited. I got matched in Dr. Lori Rink’s lab which specializes in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and became extremely interested in her research. Additionally, everyone in the lab was extremely friendly and loved answering my questions. One of the graduate students, Delia, helped me a lot during the first week by showing me different techniques for splitting and counting cells and more importantly making sure I understood the concepts. Having these two weeks under my belt has me extremely excited for the rest of my time here and I hope to take away as much as I can from this program and apply it to my future endeavors.
Halfway There!
July 7, 2023
As I have settled into the program, all my initial concerns have been washed away and I have found myself thoroughly enjoying my time here. The first week was long and required a lot of work; however, this allowed me to quickly immerse myself in the field of cancer biology as well as form relationships with other peers in the program. In the second week, I started in my assigned lab, and I became really excited. I got matched in Dr. Lori Rink’s lab which specializes in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and became extremely interested in her research. Additionally, everyone in the lab was extremely friendly and loved answering my questions. One of the graduate students, Delia, helped me a lot during the first week by showing me different techniques for splitting and counting cells and more importantly making sure I understood the concepts.
Upon wrapping up my first full month at this fellowship, I cannot begin to express how much I have learned and the connections that I have made. My time here thus far has far exceeded my expectations and I believe that I have taken advantage of my time here the past month. I have learned various wet lab techniques and have become proficient in cell and tissue culturing, which is something I would have never guessed I could do.
Reflecting back upon my first day, I was entirely lost and confused with the unfamiliarity of the lab setting, combined with the fear of making mistakes and this created a sense of unease that I learned to overcome as I progressed through the program. I also believe that one's success comes from who they surround themselves with. I can say confidently the reason for my success in this program so far is a direct result of being surrounded by the amazing people that work in Dr. Lori Rink’s lab.
Additionally, this month has been packed with adventures with others in the fellowship. Earlier this month, we all took a trip to the Mutter Museum which was definitely interesting, and then we wandered around the streets of Philly for a while. Afterwards, we ended up hitting the nearby diner for some dinner which was really good and a great end to the day. Overall, I am excited for what is to come next in this fellowship and am excited to continue to learn every day.
A Summer Well Spent
August 25, 2023
At the conclusion of this program, I cannot begin to express the gratitude that I have for all my mentors as well as my peers. The things I learned in these past 11 weeks are things and techniques that I would have never imagined myself being proficient in. Leading into the final week of the program, the pressure was definitely on, as we were all making our presentations and getting last-minute data to present at the symposium. I think that my lab did a great job overall in guiding me to the end so that I was not too stressed and most of my project was finished before the symposium, allowing me to fine tune my presentation and help out with other projects in the lab. This allowed me to enjoy my final week and cherish the last few days I had in the lab.
As I stated previously, a huge part of my success and enjoyment this summer in this program was 
the people that I was surrounded with in the lab. Everyday this summer, I enjoyed coming into work and was excited to continue my research and attempt to find answers to my research questions. As a result of this drive to discover, I ultimately was able to answer my research question, and contribute substantially to my lab's overall main project. This made my summer overall very unique and it was fun to be able to see how working a 9am-5pm research job was and if this was a possible career choice for me.