Week 2: Developing the Pieces

Weekly Report #2 Developing the Pieces: Building My ISM Foundation (8/25/2025 - 09/01/2025)

From our first etiquette meal to several Calculus BC tests, this week has been quite the roller coaster. This week has simultaneously been thrilling, enjoyable, and demanding. Our first etiquette meal was pleasant. I ate a huge breakfast burrito from Barney’s Brunch House.

For ISM, I always enjoy how we practice talking and interacting on a regular basis through the ball toss game. It’s not only a lot of fun, but I also learn a lot about people from their responses to questions. I also made sure to set up my website because I know I will be working on it a lot throughout the year and beyond, so it was crucial to get the foundation in place. I made sure to turn in my research assessment, which was really beneficial. I learned a lot more about the areas of biomedical engineering that I was unaware of or didn’t know much about. I gained more knowledge about local and national organizations that I can contact or attend webinars to learn more about, as well as some of the objectives I should accomplish every day, week, and month.

I’m currently working on my second research assessment with the annotated bibliography, as well as the interview questions I’ll be asking my future mentor. I’ll be asking 15 to 20 questions, a combination of general and focused. Additionally, I sent emails to 65–70 new professors. Prior to this, I had only sent five emails, but I took the time to send more emails to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. As of this writing on Sunday, August 31st, I have received four responses. All of them are unable to mentor me, but I have learned a lot and received helpful criticism from each one, so I will keep growing, moving forward, and emailing until I find mentors. I’ll wait until the professors respond, as most of them will likely do so after Labor Day weekend.

Aside from ISM: Since the start of the school year, I have enjoyed my time in school. I enjoy every class I take, and I made friends in every one of them. This weekend, I also had the opportunity to play tennis with some friends, which was a lot of fun. We won 6-4 in doubles, which was a cherry on top. Additionally, I returned to playing chess after a long break, which was a pleasant refresher. Despite the fact that I lost in the tournament, I’m glad I picked it up again. Additionally, I am beginning some club work for each of the organizations in which I hold leadership positions.