Finishing up

Well. it’s over.

 

As of Friday, I am no longer working at the lab. I cleaned out my station, threw my lab-coat in the wash, and said my goodbyes.

I am truly grateful to have gotten this opportunity, and feel like it has given me a real taste of what a life of research was like. I was given a chance to perform experiments that have never been done before, and was considered the leading expert on my work. All that was weird, yet strangely right. I spent a lot of time in the lab, staring at pages of data, and it was exhilarating to explain my theories and evidence to a group of peers, and then to have them prove me right! Now I will be listed on scientific papers for my work in biodiesal fuel, one of my proudest accomplishments as an environmentalist.

 

I’m excited to have a day or two to relax before heading back to school(I go back early to work for the football team), but it is strange to not have any alarms set. And even more, I still have questions and ideas that i never had time to test. Hopefully someone else will have the same thoughts, and tell me how it goes.

 

This summer, I learned how to dedicate myself to science, perform complex reactions efficiently, and generated brand new research. I was able to, by the end of the summer, find studies on other people’s biodiesal work and efficiency, and beat them outright in terms of cost, time, and yield. That was an empowering feeling. What’s more, I think what I’ve learned will translate well into future research at wake, as well as typical lab skills for the rest of my chemistry classes.

I think that’s about it. I learned some stuff. i did some science, and I got a taste of what real science is like. For that, I am eternally grateful.

 

Adios,

Ian Winek