From having a slightly different itinerary as my housemates, my MHIRT experience has been unique. Bawan, Morenike, and Donovan all arrived to Brazil a week before me as I represented my school at a research conference. I was forced to watch in wander as they posted about the new restaurants, beaches, and malls they had visited, only building anticipation for when I would finally touch down in Floripa. That time finally came Tuesday. I exited the plane with mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement, ready to embark on this summer's adventure. I was greeted by my entire lab team at baggage claim and knew immediately from the gesture that it would be a great summer.
As I reunited with my housemates, I became even more grateful for the orientation time we spent on Heifer Ranch. I had already gotten to know everyone in my house, which put me at ease and made the transition seamless. I love our overall vibe and how easy-going each of us is.
My lab time this week has mostly consisted of getting acquainted with the students and mentors (who are all friendly and extremely supportive), trying new foods on campus, and narrowing down my research goals. I was both surprised and grateful by how much liberty I was given by Cilene, my personal research mentor, in crafting my research experience. She is allowing me to research each project in her lab and choose whether to join one or craft my own experiment around the types of questions I see them handle.
It is an interesting exchange that takes place within each of our labs. As we get the chance to take on new, interesting research experiences, they get the chance to have native English speakers at their immediate disposale to improve their academic writing, speaking, and understanding. I am excited to see what the rest of this summer has in store as both our projects and personal relationships continue to blossom.
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