Sophia Beatrice Salazar
About Me
The obstacles I faced with being a woman interested in STEM, mostly medicine, had to do with my gender and dual-culture. Being interested in a male-dominated field was challenging and discouraging as many people did not believe in me and my environment was not encouraging. The Talaria Summer institute experience gave me a new perspective on pursuing a career in the STEM. I was able to meet many like-minded individuals who share similar experiences as me and have the same passion for medicine and biology like I do. It was comforting to be involved in a welcoming environment where I can freely share my passion for science, get/give advice to other young-adults and obtain new learning opportunities that I would only get from this program.
This experience was my first time conducting anything in scientific research out of my school classroom; I was nervous but excited. After completing the program, it has highly encouraged me to continue research, motivate others who want to pursue STEM to start/continue research and made me consider a career in academia. I loved being able to work alongside my mentor and conduct research in a topic I love learning, molecular biology.
Research Experience
In the first 1-2 weeks, I was eager to learn about my topic but very anxious. My topic was a grade 12 topic while I just finished grade 11 so my research was quite new to me. Additionally, I was a bit nervous about analyzing data using various softwares because this was also new to me. This made me feel doubtful about my capabilities and if I would ever be able to truly understand my topic. Although, my mentor gave me amazing lessons and deep insight about my topic which made me excited to learn. With time, I definitely felt more comfortable about my research. With the support of my mentor and friends I met through my time at Talaria, I gained more confident with knowing and communicating my research and my findings. I loved the fact that I am able to expand my learning outside the school classroom and learn from my older mentors. Participating in Talaria influenced my future interests because before joining, I only considered a career in medicine. Although, speaking with my mentor and my positive experience in research has allowed me to consider a career in academics or industry research. It has introduced me to various careers in STEM that I would like to consider.
Mentorship Experience
Rajni was incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. She understood that the knowledge that was needed to conduct this research was very new to me and she still took the time to answer all of my questions and give me detailed lessons so I was able to fully understand my research. She gave me various resources that helped me We bonded through our love of molecular biology. Speaking to a phd student was very valuable since I was able to expand my learning with my passion for molecular biology and gain helpful advice on my career path.
Favorite Part of Talaria
My favourite part about Talaria was gaining research experience, it was my first time ever doing real research outside the classroom and I truly learned a lot. I am so grateful for my mentor and the other Talaria participants who helped me along the way to communicating my research properly and fully understanding it for my conference.
Who I Recommend Talaria For
The type of student I recommend Talaria for is someone who is passionate about their topic, eager to gain research experience and has good time management skills. This program gives many opportunities to its participants with working with your mentor, connecting to other participants and attending the meetings. To get the full experience, the participant should be able to take the units I’ve to expand their learning and manage their time to thoroughly learn and apply knowledge for their research.
Advice for Future Applicants
Even if you have your doubts, you should definitely consider applying to this program. This program gives you so many learning opportunities, allows you to connect to like-minded individuals who are passionate about the same topics you are and gain real research experience!! In terms of the application process, be honest about your experiences and show your passion about the topic you are interested in researching.
