Home Away From Home

     When I first had learned about my acceptance into the Freshman Research Initiative I was quite surprised and ecstatic. I did not know what stream I was going to join at the time but regardless of my choice I knew that I would be involved in something meaningful. To believe that I would be both a scientist and researcher so early on in my college career was quite overwhelming. I would often explain to my relatives and friends back home of how FRI is jump starting our careers within the world of research by providing us with hands on experience. Despite my excitement, I was still at a loss as to what stream I would have the pleasure of joining. There were various streams that were centered around my Computer Science major that I was becoming quite indecisive and unsure of what stream to choose. That was until my close friend, Javier Sigala, recommended that I join the same stream as him which was the DIY Diagnostics steam. Before accepting his proposal, I did some research into the DIY Diagnostics stream and discovered that it was a mixture of biology, chemistry, and computer science which I thought was pretty cool and unique. Upon further research, I learned that this was the same stream that was awarded funding for their famous Zika detection project. Believing that I could also revolutionize the world with my research, I joined the DIY Diagnostics stream in hopes of realizing my dream. It is a decision that I have yet to regret and am actually quite content with. Being a computer science major, I had no clue as to how to properly use a micropipette, perform LAMP reactions, collect and grow bacteria, and various other things. However, Dr. Riedel, the research educator and head of the DIY Diagnostics stream, provided us with ways of learning how to perform all of these skills in the form of skill developments. Over the course of the Spring 2017 semester, I learned a handful of important skills that made me feel as though I was an actual researcher and scientist. We even learned how to develop mobile web applications which was pretty neat since I did not possess that skill beforehand.

     These skills were vital for following next semester since we were allowed to pursue our own independent diagnostic projects alone or in groups. Sadly, my major required me to pursue a computer science related project which meant that all the skills I learned would be rarely used. However, that did not mean that I did not get to use them since we were allowed to help our fellow peers with their own projects. It’s refreshing to dive into something completely new and unrelated to computers after a while of staring at a computer screen writing code. Being a part of the research community altered my perception of what it means to do research. It’s not simply messing around in a lab or looking at archives of old scientific journals and the such. Rather, it is a community that strives to advance human knowledge and technology by turning ideas into reality. It is a community where you are free to push the boundaries of your imagination in order to come up with unique and revolutionary results. That is what I felt when I was in the DIY Diagnostics stream. I began with a simple project which started with the simple question of whether it was possible to predict if Waller Creek was going to flood in the near future. A simple question turned into a proposal of utilizing machine learning based on a linear regression model in order to make stage (in feet), a.k.a. height of the river, predictions. Beforehand, I had no clue how to work in Python or how machine learning worked but the DIY Diagnostics stream allowed me the freedom to learn and explore what my project entailed. Now I leave the stream with new skills that I never knew I would have acquired and feel as though my time there was both meaningful and unforgettable.

     I made new friends and had great times during my time at the DIY Diagnostics stream. I met people of various backgrounds and majors and basked in the joy that is camaraderie. I remember bursting out laughing when I saw a cat chasing a squirrel while my group and I were collecting Waller Creek water samples. There were good times and there were difficult times but, nonetheless, I do not regret in the slightest every joining the DIY Diagnostics stream. The stream feels like a home away from home.