1 year ago
29
EXPLAINS. WELL, AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE AN ENGINEER HERE BECAUSE I WAS IN LOVE WITH NASA AND LIKE STARS AND ROVERS. BUT I TOOK MY FIRST ENGINEERING CLASS AND IT REALLY DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED. SO I SWITCHED OVER TO A BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES COURSE. IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS TO CHANGE THEIR CAREER PATHS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ELENA ANELLI, SHE IS ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL. I’M 14 YEARS OLD, 14, 18, AND ALREADY A RISING COLLEGE SENIOR. SHE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AT 12 AND SHE IS THE YOUNGEST EVER RESEARCH INTERN IN A PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND THE GREENEBAUM COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER. AIDS STUDENTS FROM COLLEGES IN MARYLAND AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WERE SELECTED FOR THE 11 WEEK PROGRAM THAT’S DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY IN THE FIELD OF BIOMEDICINE. AND SO WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE YOU IN THE LAB AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A PLACE AND YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE. ELENA’S WORK THIS SUMMER IS FOCUSED ON OVARIAN CANCER. A STUDENT AT ARIZONA STATE, SHE’S CONSIDERING COMING HERE FOR HER PHD IN VIRAL IMMUNOLOGY TO STUDY VIRUSES, TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD, LEARN MORE AND HOPEFULLY DO SOME VACCINE DEVELOPMENT. MAYBE SHE’S ONLY BEEN IN THE LAB FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND SHE’S ALREADY HELPING TO TRAIN INCOMING STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE. AND THIS DIVERSITY AND RESEARCH PROGRAM IS RIGHT UP ELENA’S ALLEY. SHE HAS STARTED HER OWN FOUNDATION CALLED BROWN STEM GIRL. SO WE HAVE FOR THE GIRLS WHO JUST WANT TO COME TOGETHER AND SEE OTHER GIRLS OF COLOR JUST LIKE THEM, WHO ARE ALSO WANTING TO GO INTO THE STEM FIELDS AND THEN ALSO BEING ABLE TO TAKE THEM AROUND THE WORLD AND PLAN TRIPS SO THEY CAN GO PLACES. AND I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, INSPIRE GIRLS TO KEEP GOING AND FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS. JENNIF
Child prodigy spends summer researching ovarian cancer
Alena Analeigh is a rising college senior who graduated from high school at the age of 12
A child prodigy is spending her summer researching ovarian cancer at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.It's not unusual for college students to switch majors, but when it comes to Alena Analeigh, she's anything but typical."At first, I thought I was going to be an engineer because I was in love with NASA, like stars and rovers. But I took my first engineering class and it really didn't go as planned. So, I switched over to biological sciences," Alena said.The 14-year-old rising college senior graduated from high school at the age of 12.Alena is the youngest research intern in a special internship program designed to increase diversity in the field of biomedicine that is funded by the American Cancer Society. Eight students from colleges in Maryland and across the country were selected to take part in the 11-week program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center."When you see people who look like you in the lab, you feel that you can participate, you feel that you have a place and you can contribute," said Dr. Tonya Webb, an associate professor and assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.Alena's work has focused on ovarian cancer. A student at Arizona State University, she's considering going to the University of Maryland School of Medicine here for her Ph.D. in viral immunology."To study viruses, travel around the world, and hopefully, do some vaccine development," Alena said."She's only been in the lab for a couple of months, and she's already helping to train incoming students who have completed their undergraduate degree," Webb said.The diversity in research program is right up Alena's alley. She started her own foundation, called the Brown STEM Girl Foundation."We have girls who just want to come together and see other girls of color, just like them, who also want to go into the STEM field, also being able to take them around the world, plan trips so they can go places," Alena said. "I just want to inspire girls to keep going and follow their dreams."
A child prodigy is spending her summer researching ovarian cancer at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
It's not unusual for college students to switch majors, but when it comes to Alena Analeigh, she's anything but typical.
"At first, I thought I was going to be an engineer because I was in love with NASA, like stars and rovers. But I took my first engineering class and it really didn't go as planned. So, I switched over to biological sciences," Alena said.
The 14-year-old rising college senior graduated from high school at the age of 12.
Alena is the youngest research intern in a special internship program designed to increase diversity in the field of biomedicine that is funded by the American Cancer Society. Eight students from colleges in Maryland and across the country were selected to take part in the 11-week program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"When you see people who look like you in the lab, you feel that you can participate, you feel that you have a place and you can contribute," said Dr. Tonya Webb, an associate professor and assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Alena's work has focused on ovarian cancer. A student at Arizona State University, she's considering going to the University of Maryland School of Medicine here for her Ph.D. in viral immunology.
"To study viruses, travel around the world, and hopefully, do some vaccine development," Alena said.
"She's only been in the lab for a couple of months, and she's already helping to train incoming students who have completed their undergraduate degree," Webb said.
The diversity in research program is right up Alena's alley. She started her own foundation, called the Brown STEM Girl Foundation.
"We have girls who just want to come together and see other girls of color, just like them, who also want to go into the STEM field, also being able to take them around the world, plan trips so they can go places," Alena said. "I just want to inspire girls to keep going and follow their dreams."
English (US)