Student Experiences

 Hello everyone,

Today I'll be thinking about the ways my student experiences can be translated to skills that I can use in the future. From these experiences, I can think of three that will help me later on.

1. In a career course at ASU, I learned all about the growth mindset. There were differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset that I was was able to identify. For example, under a fixed mindset, I would think that my potential was already predetermined. That I can practice and get a bit better but there were set limitations to how far I can push my potential. I'm glad I was able to learn about the growth mindset because I can embrace and overcome challenges as well as finding lessons and ways to improve.
2. Over the summer I participated in an REU opportunity. This experience taught me about responsible conduct of research. I was a bit surprised that I had not learned about this or ethics in the sciences. A lot of the ethical questions and scenarios appeared to be somewhat common sense, but there were some serious dilemmas that the class would have long discussions over. This opportunity helped me gain RCR skills that will help me in the future.
3. When I started doing research through TRAIN at Phoenix College, a whole new world opened up for me. There are so many skills that can be learned from lab experiences and I consider myself fortunate enough to learn them. Thanks to TRAIN, I feel comfortable in a lab setting, designing an experiment, presenting research, and working through data. I know there's still a lot to learn but I'm happy to say that I feel confident and happy doing research. I believe these experiences will have an immense impact on my future career!

Beyond a Bachelor of Science

It is not easy for me to think about what exactly I'd like to do with my degree. I've changed my career goals a few times from nurse to PA and in recent years to what I know I've always wanted to do, be a scientist. I enjoy being a curious person and wondering about the complex inner workings of life. I hope to help provide information that can help make a positive impact on the community. Based on these goals, I've considered a few places to begin applying to, such as ADEQ, USA jobs, NOAA Corps and so much more. There are a lot more opportunities out there than I had initially thought. Even so, my interests are all over the map and I'm still having difficulty choosing one path. Because of this I always jokingly say, "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it." 🌱

I'm excited to start this journey next year!

Online Presence II

 My current online presence is through social media, Handshake, and Linked In. I try my best to update them as often as possible. But it can be difficult to keep up. Sometimes I also have a hard time keeping up with my notifications for each account. Because of this sometimes I miss out on some opportunities to attend events, apply for jobs, or network. I’m still working on a good way to balance each of my online accounts and notifications.

When considering my desired online presence, I would like to establish a professional website for myself. Last month, as part of an assignment for STEM Success I was able to create a website on Wix. I hope to add more of my professional information to this website in order to give it to future employers. 

Online Presence

My online presence involves LinkedIn, Handshake, Facebook, Instagram, and TRAIN/stem blog.

I started using Handshake and LinkedIn last year. Both platforms have helped me immensely because they’ve brought me closer to jobs and career opportunities. LinkedIn also allows me to follow and keep track of organizations, such as industry, government, or academia that I find interesting. It also helps me keep in touch with my peers and professionals in the field. I enjoy the connections I’ve made as well as updating my profile. For example, a new addition to my profile is a summer internship. It felt good to share my accomplishments on these platforms.

In regards to social media, I use it mostly to share pictures of my hiking adventures. I love hiking as well as taking pictures of anything and everything. So I feel that these are great platforms to share some beautiful photos. I also share pictures of my family and two dogs. But I have to say that I usually think twice about what I’m sharing. I worry about how it can affect my overall online presence. Especially, because I’ve heard that employers look up prospective employees online to learn more about them. And I always wonder if what I’m sharing is something that can potentially make me look good or bad. Not that I partake in bad stuff, but you never know how someone else may perceive something. So I believe it's important to be mindful about sharing.

Another platform I use is my STEM blog. I don’t use it as often but when I do, I write a lot. It seems that one prompt will send me on a spiral to 20 different ideas. It’s amazing how writing helps voice your thoughts. I’m hoping that as I’m entering my final semester as a TRAIN scholar I can blog a bit more. =)

Future goals

    It’s difficult to describe the position or job title I hope to be working in for the future. I don’t have a definite career goal. But I do have an idea of where I’d like to be. In a year I would like to have a job in the science field. Whether it's in research or a lab, I hope to be using the skills I’ve gained throughout my undergrad. In five years, I hope I would have decided on going to graduate school, either for a master's or Ph.D. And hopefully, in ten years I’ll be working at a job in research. When I imagine what that would look like I think of myself in a lab, looking over data, or walking through a field site collecting data. I hope to do meaningful research that can lead to public education that way we can be a more informed community.

    I think the biggest societal challenge will be climate change. I feel like most of the climate change issues are getting out of our control. Our way of life is affecting the environment and there’s no sign of it stopping anytime soon. I’m certain this will have negative impacts for generations ahead. I'd like to work on projects that will help better our environment and positively impact the future.

Three years

Three years ago… I knew biology was an extensive field that involved an understanding for how organisms function. It’s the study of life. 🌱

I was certain this field would be fulfilling for me because I always wondered about the things around me. I’d look at trees and wondered what it was that made them grow tall. Or why my little brother had so much energy. These may seem obvious to answer now, but a few years ago I had no idea. I knew plants were complex, but not that they, (like us) are part of a multicellular taxa called eukaryotes. I also knew my little brother ate, so he had energy but I never imagined that our bodies used bioenergetic processes to generate ATP. Over time I’ve collected tidbits of knowledge that have allowed me to better understand my surroundings. Now every time I see a tree or my brother filled with energy I have a “wow” moment because I understand and appreciate the science behind it.

In three years… I would like to learn how to mountain climb. This is a personal goal that I’ve been thinking about for a while. I enjoy hiking in the mountains, especially reaching high peaks. But now I think I’m ready to try something new. I’ve watched people mountain climb before and it seems like an exhilarating experience. I’ll probably start by going indoor climbing. I think the best way would be by joining a community of mountain climbers. This way they can teach me, give me tips, and it can become an enjoyable + safe experience.

 Hello everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! 

There are a couple of reflective questions to answer for this blogpost.

Those who have encouraged me 💗

When asked about the person who helped me get to where I am today, I think of people and not a person. It’s my family. They have all been there for me in various ways. Not financially or through guidance, but just by their words of encouragement. I’m a first generation college student and the daughter of immigrants. So it’s been difficult to pave a path through academia. Figuring out how to enroll in college, pay for college, and be successful in my studies, I’ve learned through trial and error. Along the way, as I struggled, my family was always there to simply say, “si se puede” and “lucha por tus sueños”. Or, you can do it and fight for your dreams. Now before every test, during long hours of writing, or studying, their words echo in my mind. 

I am eternally grateful for them. 

When thinking about the advice I would give to my younger self. I would say stop worrying about the future. I know it’s good to have a plan and goals to strive for. But my thoughts and actions would almost always be directed towards the future. I would worry about things that haven’t happened yet or would think about what’s next. So, I wouldn’t live in the moment and enjoy the little things.

I would tell my younger self to be present when with family, friends, travelling, hiking, or just sitting down enjoying a coffee. It’s important to take time for yourself and be present in the moment.

Two more weeks?

 Hello  everyone,

I checked my December calendar this morning and saw that after today there will be two Fridays left of school. Well, at least for me because I have a final exam & papers due Dec. 4th. 

For some it may be earlier. But either way the feeling of "oh, the semester's wrapping up!?" is present and mutual. I hope you're all keeping a positive mindset too. Yes, grades may or may not be important but if anything, I learned how valuable it can be to end the semester on a positive note. 

Storytime: I received a bad grade in one of my classes, which really stressed me out and resulted in me forming many negative associations with the subject. It was so bad that now every time I think about genetics, I cringe. A year later, I wish I had at least tried to enjoy learning about the topic. That way I can happily recall ideas about it or feel comfortable talking about the topic with my peers.

A couple of things I'm trying this semester is to be patient with myself and also to make a study plan. First is writing down daily goals ensuring that I'm being honest with myself on what I can commit to on that given day. Then, crossing things off as I go. Whether it's just a two hour study session or one hour working on a rough draft, there was advancement and something got done. Then I can look forward to continuing it later in the day or the next day. 

Another important thing is patience. As the saying goes, "you are your own worst critic" so it's important to be patient with ourselves and be mindful of our capabilities while working through these final assignments. This way we can make realistic goals and maintain a positive mindset as we continue absorbing or reviewing information. 

I know this was a long one, but sharing my thoughts/goals has been helpful for me. And even if these are not helpful for you, at least know that you are not alone. I'm right there with you, feeling it and figuring it out too. Please reach out* and keep at it because we will get through this! The best we can do is enjoy the ride. 😎📚

*https://eoss.asu.edu/resources for anything you may need help with. Or reach out to me, I'd be happy to chat! 😊

Takeaway from October Lab Work

 Hello everyone!

For this blog I wanted to talk a bit about my thesis project. I started doing the lab work and my goal has been to complete the project within this month. 

It was fun thinking about designing the experiment, but I did need a lot of help from my project director, Dr. Polidoro. In fact, she pretty much guided me most of the way. I'm so very thankful for her expertise and patience when it came to designing the experiment. I've been in her lab for a year now and I feel comfortable doing a couple of the protocols on my own. But with being a bio major, I still struggle with some environmental chemistry concepts. This is where I've understood the importance in asking questions. Even if I felt like they may not be important or that I should know this already, I still asked anyway. 

So if there is a big takeaway for me during this months' thesis work, it's the importance in asking as many questions as possible. It is a learning experience after all. Doing this has helped broaden my understanding, cover all the basics, and learn from someone who been in the same shoes. 

I'm sharing an image of my samples in jars, dosed with pesticides. I'll keep you posted on my project in another blog!

It's all about the Mindset

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to talk a bit about my thoughts on the growth mindset. When I first read Mindset by Carol Dweck, I agreed with everything and concluded that I had a growth mindset. And so that was that. 

But I was so wrong in assuming this. Because I truly don't know everything there is to know about it. Recently, I understood my error and the value of the growth mindset. I found that I was quick to dismiss it and didn't challenge myself enough to see if I could integrate different aspects of it. 

I believe this led me to where I am today, where I've been expressing symptoms of a fixed mindset. It's difficult to pinpoint how or when, but I became weary of challenges, gave up easily, and accepted failures as defeat. For example, I didn't do as well as I had hoped on an exam and this brought me on a spiral of failure. My first thought was that this exam determined the outcome of the semester. It was a dogma of pass or fail. This was definitely affecting how I handle school, work, and stress. 

Recently, I've picked up the Mindset book and it helped me reflect on my assumption and how easily one could slip into a fixed mindset. So far, it's helped me recognize what I can change and demonstrate ways to integrate a growth mindset. I look forward to working through it. 

My takeaway from this experience is to not assume that I have all the answers and to keep an open mind. And also, to not be so harsh on myself and forgive, then move forward.

I'm sharing an image that helps me stay focused on what I want to work on. I wish you all the best in your endeavors! 😊

Spring semester (almost) coming to a close

Hello everyone,

The end is in sight! Just a few more weeks to go.
This semester has definitely been a challenging one. I'm sure you all are facing your own challenges or as I call them, "bumps in the road" amidst the current situation. I want to reassure you that it is okay. You are not alone, we will get through this. Just be sure to reach out for resources or to others to help you and your loved ones through this.
I deeply miss how life was before. Especially working in the lab, so I would like to share some photos of the SWAT lab team. I'm hopeful for a future where we can get back to work on assessing the human health impacts of organic contaminants found in water systems.
For now, I'm thankful for the experiences and good company I had at ASU.

Photo credit to Jasmine 😊

Good luck with finals! And stay safe. 🌻

Online and Social Distancing

Hello everyone,

So many changes have occurred in the last few weeks. I hope you are all adjusting well and stay safe by practicing social distance as well as regular hygiene.

Online classes have been the biggest hurdle for me. I've never liked it and preferred being face to face with my peers and professors. I miss talking and learning from and about people, as well as sharing our ideas. It takes me more time to learn concepts when I'm reading them to myself. I learn by someone explaining and giving examples then challenging me by asking questions. I don't know if others feel the same, but I guess Zoom will suffice for now.

It's interesting how a college education can help better understand the complexities of the pathogen we're facing today. Everything I learned from Bio 181 to genetics is helping me understand this. I'm sure you all feel the same about what you've learned through your educational experience.
These are incredibly difficult times and I hope everyone is taking extra precautions. Most importantly don't be discouraged, life will go on and our educational endeavors will continue. This is a bump in the road and we will get through this.

If you ever need any support don't hesitate to reach out. Here's a link that Dr. Marshall had shared previously, filled with resources
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rPGbGSfnuwrwYNvMSQXe8u2TB6cV7gX-/view 

Or if you just want to talk, please feel free to reach out to me.

Moving on from Rabbitfish to the TSS method

Hello everyone,

The semester is in full swing, so I wanted to share a bit about the research we're currently working on in Dr. Polidoro's toxicology lab. Last week, we finished the last of the fish samples that were received from the Philippines. They are called rabbitfish and are consumed by the locals. The fishes are from nearby bodies of water, close to human development. 12 fishes were collected from 4 different sites.

Whole Rabbitfish samples from the Philippines (left), the tissue samples

 ready to be weighed (right).

Setting out the supplies for the procedure.

The purpose of the study is to identify any organic contaminants found in the tissues of the fish. This helps us understand the human health impacts that come from locals consuming rabbitfish. With the increasing concern of pollution in marine environments, I believe this study will help us understand how it can affect marine wildlife and ultimately those who depend on it for food.
I'm incredibly thankful and happy to take part in this study.

I also look forward to this next project. We'll be doing the methods for Total Suspended Solids (TSS). In this, we're using pre-filters that have been exposed to water environments. Through their exposure, they should collect any contaminants present. Since this is the first week working on them, I'm still learning about the procedure and look forward to working on more samples next week.

It's a New Year!

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful break and first week of the spring semester. In all, it feels good to be back. I look forward to all the new experiences this semester will bring.

 I mostly blog about the exciting science-filled parts of my research intern endeavors, but I'd like to also speak of the things that happen underneath the surface. These are things that we all may experience, the challenge that we go through to get to the goal.
I've had my fair share of troubles while being in college. But nothing prepared me for last semester. It was probably one of the toughest semesters I've had. I was mostly going through personal family stuff, that affected every aspect of my life. I was also afraid to tell anyone, so I kept my struggles to myself.
Coming back from break, on the first day of classes, I felt fear by just remembering everything that happened and how I had to go through it again. There was a fear of the challenge ahead. By being in this mindset I felt paralyzed, filled with negative thoughts of failure and unable to see the goal ahead. After sharing this feeling with those around me and getting thoughtful advice, I was able to change my mindset. Today, I'm embracing the challenge and using my fear as something to overcome. I know it'll be tough but that's what happens with growth. From my experience, I wanted to share the importance there is in having a support system, a group of individuals who can help you see things from a different perspective. I believe there's also significance in maintaining a growth mindset throughout our academic endeavors. I mean, we've made it this far, we can make to our end goal!

"You don't just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process" -Rupi Kaur

My Reflections for this Semester

Hello everyone,

The topic for this blog is if you could go back in time and give advice to your “first day of ASU” self, what advice would you give? For me, this is a tough one as well as emotional. Mostly because this has been the most challenging semester I’ve had. Things were not as I had expected them to be. Life happens and sometimes it takes you away from your goals. Thankfully there were people in my life that pushed me and kept me going. So here I am at the end of the semester. I did it, I made it! 

So I would tell myself just that, “you are going to get through whatever obstacle life throws at you.” To “appreciate those around you, when everything seems dark, they will help you through.” And lastly, I would tell myself “this too shall pass, you got this!”

I’m incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities and struggles, I believe these are lessons in life that I can learn from and move forward. It’s difficult to see that at the moment as we lead our busy lives. But it’s what helps us grow and can become a driving force through our academic endeavors.

I wish everyone a wholesome winter break and hope some of my advice to myself helps you as well.

Goals and Beyond

Hello everyone,

This semester has been a trying one, but thankfully we’re at the last stretch with just a couple more weeks left of school. As we near the end, I wanted to reflect on the changes that I’ve made to my academic goals over time. When I first started at Phoenix College I was certain in pursuing a career in nursing. But as I started to take the pre-reqs such as BIO 156 or CHM 130, I grew inspired by the different aspects in the field of science. I asked questions and wondered about the world around me. This was when I realized that I wanted to do more than work in the medical field. Pursuing a career in the medical field would have fulfilled one of my goals in dedicating my life to helping others, but it wouldn’t fulfill a goal that I’ve had since I was younger. This goal has always been to be a scientist. I wanted to be someone who made discoveries, performed research and asked difficult questions about the way the world works. When I understood the importance of pursuing a career that fulfilled both, I shifted gears on my academic goals. By doing this, I was certain that I would live a life doing the things I love and have a meaningful career. 

Since changing my goals a couple of years ago, I’ve received an Associate in science and have transferred to Arizona state university. I was accepted to be a STEM/TRAIN scholar and also made a goal to pursue undergraduate research. This semester I’ve started working as an intern in Dr. Polidoro’s SWAT lab, where we perform research that may impact the lives of communities in the Philippines and American Samoa. Although I haven’t quite set myself with a career goal, I’m certain that I’ll find inspiration, just as I did the first time, by doing research and continuing to work towards my biology degree. 

Learning New Lab Techniques

Hello everyone,

It has been about two months since I’ve begun working on research with Dr. Polidoro’s research team. I’ve learned so much during this time, such as new lab techniques and tools for sampling. We’re currently working on samples collected from the Philippines. These samples are processed by various procedures, in order to identify the particles present in the water. Some of the chemistry procedures I've learned are how to prepare and use drying columns and how to set up the nitrogen evaporator. The drying columns act as a filter for the samples, separating the layers and letting the sampling material through.

While the nitrogen evaporator, concentrates the samples. I’ve also familiarized myself with SPMDs. They are porous tubings that allow us to sample contaminants in water. These pores bind to organic contaminants in the water. They do this in a similar manner as fatty tissues in organisms would to contaminants in their surroundings. 

The SMPD, is the clear tubing. It's wound around
and then placed in a metal container that
 allows for water to flow through.
This is then set at an aquatic site and
 retrieved after some time for testing. 

It’s considered a passive sampling method. By this, it means that they were left in certain sites in the Philippines and for an extended amount of time, then later retrieved. In the lab, we then place the SPMDs in solvent and process, then test the contaminants that it may have absorbed. 

There’s so much more that we’ve also done, but I’m still learning and understanding the purpose for doing these procedures. I’m excited for what I have yet to learn.

Why STEM??

It's always been a dream of mine to pursue a career in STEM. When I was little, my dad had a Biology textbook lying around the house. I remember picking it up and looking at all the images. At the time, I didn’t understand much of the terms, but I was intrigued by trying to pronounce and make meaning of what was there. I believe this was when I knew for certain that I wanted to be a scientist. Over time, I became interested in marine biology and ecosystems. It was difficult to fathom how vast everything is, how everything is interconnected and how much we have yet to understand. I think it was this curiosity that became the driving force that led me to pursue a career in STEM. Another component that led me to pursue STEM, was my need to do something about the issues in the world. I believe that we have the power to make positive change and we should use it. I chose STEM to be able to gain and obtain the knowledge to make positive changes.

I’m currently interning in Dr. Polidoro’s lab. We’re analyzing samples from the Philippines, for possible contaminants. And pretty soon we’ll be analyzing fish and clams for levels of toxicity. It’s pretty exciting stuff.. well, not so much for the fish and clams though. In the grand scheme of things, I know that the work I’m taking part in will help determine the quality and integrity of aquatic environments, that can be used to help these places if needed. This is the work I want to do. I want a future in which I can learn and help others, whether it’s an ecosystem, a community or a species.

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite quotes 😊

Week Fourteen

Hello, not much to add on research. We collected the data that we needed last week and finalized our research paper. I actually want to give credit to the structure of this internship program. It really helped to have to blog post, this way I kept track of what was done that week or what I learned. The study of background and other assignments also helped me prepare for the final research paper.
Looking back, it has been an amazing experience. I've learned so much and look forward to continuing research at ASU.
Good luck with finals everyone!

PIA with funny looking colonies grown from the plastic samples. <3

Week Thirteen

This week we took the plastic pieces out of the PIA plates and washed, sanitized, dried, then got our last set of measurements. Afterward, the average mass was calculated and added to the graph for comparison. We were kind of happy to see more results, but on Wednesday we were surprised to find significant differences in the margin of error. I was able to get some insight from John and, well.. I think next time I'll be sure to take a look at all possibilities (from a stats perspective) in gathering data. And it's not that we chose a bad way to collect data, but there are better ways and its good to really look into other possibilities while building your foundation. For now, there's not much to do about it but trudge through it.

The beginning process of taking out the plastic pieces from PIA
and washing, then sanitizing them and drying in beakers.