Laura is a student at Bellevue High School. Her favorite subject in school has always been science because of how intriguing she finds the complexity of the human body and the world around her. Over the course of high school, she has taken: Biology, Science Research, Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, and Physics. This past year, in her science research class, she was able to conduct an experiment. This independent study led her to want to know more about the human body and made her passion for science and the medical field stronger. For her experiment, she shadowed a doctor and worked alongside them to conduct a clinical trial with 5 patients and later analyzed the results. Her passion for helping others was not only influenced by doing the clinical trial and interacting with all sorts of patients by shadowing a doctor, but also by volunteering at Evergreen Hospital. This scientific experience, along with the encouragement from her science research teacher, inspired her to do an internship at ISB. She will continue exploring her passion for science and the medical field by taking classes in those areas.
This summer, Laura was an intern in the Baliga Lab and worked in the Biofuels Project under the mentorship of Jake Valenzuela Ph.D. She is very grateful for this experience and has learned a lot and experienced a lot of new lab techniques such as: how to isolate DNA, how to make media, how to make a successful electroporation protocol, how to code using R, and how to use lab equipment like a centrifuge and a nanodrop. This internship has also taught Laura the importance of teamwork and collaboration in a science field. Laura hopes to use the techniques she’s learned at ISB to impact the community. Click here if you would like to learn more about this project.
In school, Laura is a board member of Interact Club and is a member of National Honor Society. She enjoys being part of her school’s cross-country and tennis team. When she is not busy with school, Laura loves spending time with friends and outdoors. She always looks forward to school breaks so she can go back to her home country, Spain. In the future, Laura would love to pursue a career in medicine due to her love for science, interest in research, and a desire to help people.
If any future interns have any questions, she would love to answer them or give advice!
