Beautiful day, isn't it?
I have decided to start this series by thanking a family member and very influential person for his generosity and continued encouragement towards me and my pursuit of science.
Joey is my mom's first cousin, making him my second cousin and really more like an uncle. Around the dinner table, he's easily distinguished because he's usually the loudest of the bunch and is probably the one telling embarrassing stories about my mom. (They're usually pretty hilarious.)
Oh, and did I mention he's this genius scientist person who has his own lab at Vanderbilt studying heart valve development problems in babies? (*Initiate bragging rights*)
When I was little I visited his lab while in Nashville and I can vividly picture the chick embryo glowing under a microscope that had a camera attached to it. I can see the little heart beating on the tv screen and being in awe at the whole thing. We have pictures of me putting on a lab coat and gloves and looking at human hearts. And then going to his house and looking at fossils in his backyard. One time, I pretty much destroyed part of his rock wall because I took out the rocks that had fossils in them to show him what I found. (I still feel sorta bad about the wall.) He's told me tons of random science facts and given me numerous science related books to read. And then when I turned sixteen I spent a summer volunteering at his lab.
That lab experience, though admittedly long and sometimes frustrating, was one of the best experiences I have had during high school. The people I met and worked with were absolutely incredible and so inspiring. Not to mention - I learned so, so, much. It was just the coolest experience and one I wish I could have repeated. At the end of it, I was proud of what we had done and even more sure that I could be happy doing what Cindy, Dan, Joseph L., Nora and all my other lab friends do all the time. Each one has been an inspiration and I appreciate all they have done for me. Thanks guys! :)
And of course, thank you to Joey who has continually inspired and shown generosity towards me. I have so appreciated all the time you have spent encouraging and helping me form a path for my future.
Thank you so much!!
<3
(My apologies for not having a picture of Joey up. I couldn't find one on my computer. :P Here are a few from my lab experience and if I find one of Joey and I, I'll add it.)
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| Cindy working on the embryos |
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| Mouse embryo |
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| May not mean much to people who've never worked with this before but we ran a bunch of PCRs. It was always a fun time :) |
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