Intern Notebook: Our First Field Trip
isbscience.org/news/2016/07/23/intern-notebook-field-trip/
By Isiac Orr
ISB High School Intern
In an effort to enrich both summer internship programs at ISB and Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI), high school interns from both institutes gathered recently to learn about their respective programs. The interns first met at ISB to get an introduction and take photos. The group then followed Dr. Becky Howsmon, award-winning senior scientist at SCRI, to tour SCRI’s discovery portal and lab facilities.
The interns from ISB cycled through SCRI’s discovery center, which featured activities detailing the institute’s history, their scientists, and areas of research impact. Afterward, there was time for an impromptu discussion about the discovery center experience, but most people chose to reflect quietly. A few interns, however, did end up sharing opinions on the astounding scope of SCRI’s research, the aid that it can provide, and how pleasantly the discovery portal was set up.
Next, Dr. Howsmon led the group to the lab and further explained some of the research that was being conducted at the institute. SCRI covers everything from analyzing microbiomes to regenerating zebrafish, which captivated the science-driven students. For the ISB interns, seeing SCRI labs, which resemble ISB’s labs, sparked a sense of unity because they could see themselves as equals to their young colleagues at SCRI. The group continued to the top floor, which opens to a beautiful view of the city framed by skyscrapers and the Space Needle.
Buca di Beppo generously donated food for the group to enjoy as everyone mingled with the aid of ice-breaking activities at each of the tables. Laughs and stories carried the field trip to its conclusion with a presentation from one of the SCRI interns. Her poster portrayed the research she had performed, what she had learned, and what she aspired to do with the experience she had gained. Linnea Stavney, one of the ISB high school interns, described the field trip as simply “good food, good people, good science.”
