Spring 2022

One of the classes I took this quarter was Econ 200. Coming into UW I was interested in Econ as a potential major so I thought it would be a good class for me to take. I found the class to be really easy, like easy enough that I would barely go to lecture or would fall asleep if I did go. It was difficult to make connections in that class since it was in Kane 130 and, unlike Bio, did not have group work. I was proud that I went to office hours to talk about Zahra's work and learn more about economics as a field. I wish I had followed up with her more though to get more resources.

Probably the biggest thing that happened during the quarter was starting to work in the Fuller Lab. It was my first ever lab experience since AP Chem in high school since the COVID-19 squashed any chances I had of building other experience. It was a really busy time for the lab in terms of sampling and processing, and I was frustrated since it felt like all I was doing was labeling tubes (sometimes 300 per day). I felt like I was not being proactive in asking to shadow or learn techniques. One scary thing was having to do the paper presentation to the lab members and then face questions. I had many doubts about my own scientific knowledge and ability to communicate. It was difficult but I think I did an decent job presenting about the Chimeric Zika DNA vaccine.

I really liked the Honors class this quarter, Honors 391 B: Visions of the land: cultural landscapes of Seattle and the Salish Sea Region. Taught by Tim Billo, we deeply explored how Seattle was constructed. I wasn't aware that where I-5 is now was the original coastline before they regraded or the long-lasting environmental effects on the marshes creating the Montlake Cut had. The final project consisted of being assigned a light rail station and finding a historical and current narrative. I spent time in Rainier Beach roaming around, and it was a lot of fun! It was also the first time I interacted with a community organization.