Hello everyone! My name is Lauren and I am a junior at the University of Michigan. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Gender and Health. I recently began working on my summer research project and I am really enjoying it! This project is about water insecurity in Mexico City and its impact on women’s mental and physical health. With my commitment to the project throughout the summer, I love how I am able to immerse myself in a topic that I have not learned about before. I have already learned so much about this topic during my first few days, and I cannot wait to expand my knowledge!
Honestly, I was very intimidated when I first began working on this project because of my lack of research experience. For example, some of my tasks involve working in a wet lab, which I have never worked in before. Although I have only been to the lab a few times, I am already starting to feel more comfortable in the space and confident in my abilities. By exposing myself to new areas within research, I believe that I will be able to not only expand my technical skills but also discover my passions within the field. As I continue in my undergraduate career, I want to expose myself to as many areas of research as possible so that I can prepare myself for graduate school. This research project is forcing me to step out of my comfort zone and familiarize myself with an entirely new work setting, topic, and procedures.
This is me in San Juan, Puerto Rico!