Get involved and try everything!
June 13, 2024
Hi! My name is Natalie Phillips, and I have just finished my first year at The University of Delaware! I originally started the year as a Neuroscience major but ended the year as a Medical Diagnostics student with minors in both Neuroscience and Biology. Although I am not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life yet, the idea of conducting research has been an idea in the back of my head for a while, and this fellowship has allowed me to see some of the pros and cons of this field!
Everyone has advice to give to incoming freshmen going to universities, but something I had heard quite often was to “throw yourself into everything and get involved early”. At first, I didn't believe people when they said that the years would go by so fast, but looking back, my first year was a whirlwind of emotions and new experiences that seemed to end almost as suddenly as it had started. I took everyone’s advice and signed up for every club, activity, and volunteer opportunity (even though I didn't end up going to most of the events) and learned more about myself and my interests than I ever had before, and sometimes, knowing what you dislike is just as important as knowing what you love.
I originally went to Fox Chase Discovery Day and determined that, even though research seemed somewhat interesting to me, spending my summer in North Philadelphia was not the best use of my time, and there were so many other students who applied that (surely) I would not get into the program anyways. I could not have been more wrong. I went home, looked at the application, and decided that I wouldn't even bother applying, but as the weeks passed and the deadline crept up, I kept feeling that maybe I should apply, just to see. The night of the application’s due date, I finally decided I should try my luck. Both starting and turning the application in within an hour for the midnight deadline made me realize that I had ignored the nagging feeling in my brain, as well as ignoring everyone's advice for me: get involved early and try new things. I clicked “submit” and waited.
After having my interview, meeting some of my mentors, and having a chance to ask some questions to learn more about the program, I decided that this experience was in fact something I was interested in pursuing, and my indifference turned to excitement as I began preparing for the summer.
As I shared before, I think some of the most important things to know about yourself are things that you hate. I know that I hate broccoli and shrimp, but unfortunately, this information does not translate into my adult life and career field. Through this fellowship, I am hoping to find some of my passions, and, more importantly, things I do not want to do, giving myself some direction as I move forward in my life. I am both nervous and excited for what my future holds, and I know that Fox Chase and the many mentors here will help me succeed.
If I could repeat this entire process again, I would not change a thing. Learning about myself, enjoying the experience, and growing in my knowledge and skills has been such a cool adventure for me, especially as an incoming sophomore who knew very little about cancer, labs, and research before going into this program. Everyone here is so friendly and more than willing to listen to me pick their brains about all the questions I have and the topics I am confused about. Overall, I am super excited to see how this summer shapes me, and to learn everything I can under such incredible scientists, researchers, and mentors.
Halfway Done :(
July 14, 2024
Hi everyone! We are over halfway to the end of the summer, and reality has finally set in that I will be leaving Fox Chase soon :( So much has happened since the last blog post I had written, and I am so excited to share my activities from the past few weeks!
First and most importantly, all of the fellows and I attended Research Day! This is an annual event for people who are newer to research, such as undergraduates and young postdocs, to present their information to anyone who wants to attend. There were 10 oral presentations, and three poster sessions, and I learned so much from all of the presenters. For example, during oral presentations, I learned what to do, and what not to do during a presentation. Some of the speakers spoke too quickly, and some of them had information that was too dense for the audience to understand. Finding a balance when you are presenting is important, and I will definitely keep that in mind for my symposium presentation (which is coming up soon!).
Speaking of my final presentation, the fellows and I all had a chance to present the beginning five minutes of our final presentation! At first, I was very nervous because I felt like I had a lot of information and not enough time, but after working with my mentors, my PI, and other members of my lab, I felt a lot more confident and ready to present. Overall, I think the presentation went well, but I need to remember to slow down and use interesting transitions. Presenting the first few slides allowed me to get some constructive criticism as well as compliments in order to help me tweak and perfect my background portion of the presentation.
Even with all of the work in the lab, and all of the homework, I still have time to hang out with the new people I have met here! I love all of the fellows, and I am so happy to have met them :) I have included a picture of Anna in an ice cream shop because Anna, Khush, and I got ice cream after a long day. I am so thankful for all of the friendships I have created through this fellowship, and I am happy that we are able to hang out outside of work and carpooling, despite being so busy.
Wrapping up, I just want to reflect on how much I have learned, even in this very short amount of time. I feel like I have a grasp on the research in a way that I never would’ve thought possible, and I am looking forward to showing you all what I have been working on at the final symposium!
The Best Summer!
August 26, 2024
This summer was an amazing experience for me overall. I have learned so much, both about myself, the lab environment, and professional development, and if I could redo this summer, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I felt like everyone had my best interest at heart, and sincerely wanted to see me succeed, which was such a great environment to work in. I loved my lab and how patient they were with me, even when I would mess up. My mentor was incredible, so intelligent, and so understanding, and I truly felt like I could talk to her about any issue I had. This fellowship allowed me to meet so many different people with completely different backgrounds and educations, and I hope to stay in contact with everyone!
In addition to my lab, I am also so thankful for the other fellows in my group. I have made friends I will definitely keep forever, that I probably would not have ever met outside of this program. We were able to all practice our talks together, and it was so rewarding to be able to see everyone’s rough drafts, as well as the final presentations. I am so proud of everyone, and I loved seeing the hard work and dedication everyone had, especially at the symposium.
The final symposium was super nerve-racking for me, but so incredible. Even though I had practiced for everyone in my lab and the other fellows so many times, I was still so nervous about the questions and the public speaking, because this was the first presentation in front of a crowd that I had ever done. Even though I might not remember how I sounded or what I was saying, I will always remember how proud of myself I felt. I think that the symposium allowed all of the fellows, the other labs, and our families to have a taste of our research, which was a really cool culminating experience.
If anyone reading this is debating about applying to this program, I want you to know that you will not regret it!!! I have learned and grown so much and I 100% recommend applying!