Hello! I am Christian Ihenyen, a rising senior at Howard University majoring in Biology. I am originally from Durham , NC but I'm in love with this Southern California weather. Coming into the program I was excited and curious because I had never been to the west coast before. After meeting other participants, I knew this was the program for me. My counterparts were very welcoming and willing to socialize. The first week was nothing like I would have expected. My lab made me feel very welcomed. Sometimes when you come to a space that you are not familiar with it can be really nerve wracking when it comes to not wanting to make mistakes. One thing I can say is that I'm learning something new everyday. Thanks to Dr. Read, she has a good way of setting things clear and being patient with the students. In the lab, I'm investigating the effects of salinity on anatoxin production. Right now I'm preparing my RNA extractions and I've learned so much already, for example, extraction is a bit different from DNA extraction, you have to be very fast and clean because RNA molecules degrade easily. On Tuesday we went to a delicious taco spot and I ordered almost everything on the menu. Our first day, we visited a big scientific corporation called Thermo fisher. Thermo Fisher is a very big building right in the beautiful city of Carlsbad. I was really excited to listen the panel because most of them weren't STEM majors but they had careers in science. Hearing that made me more comfortable with not having to follow a certain path because of my major. I even got the chance to introduce myself to one of the panelists who has a career in data analyst therefore I made sure to get his contact information. The fun didn't stop there though. On Saturday we went to Torrey Pines to hike and explore the beaches well. Then we went to pacific beach to celebrate fellow REU intern, Jenna's 21st birthday and this taco spot called The Taco Stand. It was definitely a success, there was some random man who even offered to pay for our McDonalds . That Sunday I took time to myself to whine down and prepare for the lab the next day. So far, the first week has been filled with great memories and the beginnings in my research career. I can’t wait for what lies ahead!
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Watch this space for weekly updates!Every week, one of our CSUSM NSF REU students will post their blurb, summarizing their week, and chronicling our program. AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2023
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