Thoughts

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I have had a very busy week!  I gave my internship presentation twice last Monday (it went just fine, nobody asked any terribly hard questions!), packing up my car in between, and drove home to Michigan that evening.  I then spent four very full days at home packing and catching up with friends and family, before flying down to Quito, Ecuador on Saturday!  I am spending the fall semester studying abroad in Quito, and I will be blogging during my time here!  You can follow my new blog here: katetravelsecuador.blogspot.com.

I am very glad Dr. McElroy had me put together a presentation before I left Iowa because it required me to reflect on my entire internship experience.  I have learned SO MUCH this summer!  Before my summer in Iowa City, I had never even performed research in a wet lab.  Now I am comfortable with several lab techniques, I understand the grant writing and submission process, I have put together a research talk, and I know much more about diseases common to premature infants.  Not to mention that I witnessed the first few moments of the lives of about 10 new babies!  I owe a huge thank you to Dr. McElroy for bringing me to the University of Iowa and giving me this opportunity; many researchers would hire an undergrad just to wash the glassware.  I consider myself very lucky to have had this opportunity. 

There are probably many more things I could say about my summer, but the week since I left Iowa feels like a year.  Right now I would rather look forward than back - on to the next adventure!