Upon my return to Northeastern University, I had the pleasure of being involved in many activities such as the Huntington News and Kinematix Dance Troupe. I’ve also had the opportunity to pursue healthcare community work by volunteering at the New England Baptist Hospital, and becoming involved in research. This school also challenged me academically and mentally, and it allowed me to push myself past my limits.

 

Antimicrobial Drug Discovery Center

I first participated in research over the summer of freshman year at Northeastern University at the Antimicrobial Drug Discovery Center. The research consisted of the discovery of teixobactin, an antibiotic that is capable of killing antibiotic-resistance bacteria. This antibiotic opened new doors of possible treatment for tuberculosis as well as diseases caused by MRSA. I volunteered in the lab for six weeks and started off by cleaning dishes and measuring dry media. As I gained more experience, I learned to use the autoclave, learned about the process of PCR, and also performed gel electrophoresis. In the beginning, I was nervous, especially because this was my first research experience. However, as I kept coming back and became more comfortable with the staff members, I became more comfortable with my tasks. Therefore, I believe that my research experience significantly helped increase my interpersonal skills.

 

Kinematix Dance Troupe

Kinematix Dance Troupe was the first college dance team I became a part of. I did not become a part of the team until my third try. I did feel disappointed in myself when I didn’t make it the first two times. However, I believe that my experiences pushed me even harder to improve in dancing. I realized that I wanted to be on the team so much that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to improve in dancing. Once I made the dance team, my hunger for dancing became stronger. I started to take more dance classes so I can push myself past my limit and become a better dancer and choreographer. In addition, throughout the process I’ve improved my communication skills and confidence.