In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to assist Dr. Annah Kalb along with my lab partner and fellow Wabash student, Luke Davis, in her organic chemistry research laboratory. Our objective was to create organic photocatalysts and optimize reaction conditions to utilize these in various photoredox reactions as opposed to expensive organometallic catalysts. This opportunity was especially useful for me being an individual who is not yet sure of a path to pursue, whether that be research or medical practice. This experience allowed me to apply prior academic knowledge and pushed me to expand upon learned material. However, I was also forced to step outside my comfort zone and face weaknesses of mine such as attention to detail and meticulous note-taking, which helped me gradually become more detailed and intentional with my work. As a Biochemistry and Psychology double major seeking more insight into how academic work could be applicable in my future, this was a wonderful chance to see a potential path for me following my undergraduate years. This experience also offered a bit of insight into how the life of a scientific or medical professional may look, as I sometimes had to focus on aspects of this research
outside of typical work hours. I felt that having an introduction to this type of lifestyle kept me excited to come into the lab each day and allowed me to learn at a rapid rate. Overall, I had a wonderful summer internship experience all thanks to Dr. Kalb and Luke, who both acted as mentors for me throughout the span of the internship. I feel that the small lab group size was appropriate for the workload, and Dr. Kalb was wonderful in terms of providing help with procedural steps and content-based inquiries whenever necessary but also afforded us the space to allow Luke and me to become comfortable performing the various lab techniques required for our work. Lastly, I have the Wabash Chemistry Staff and donors to thank for allowing this opportunity to take place, to begin with. This opportunity allowed me to gain confidence in my academic ability and gave me a chance to tackle various weaknesses in my professional arsenal. I would absolutely recommend this experience to students in my situation moving forward and hope that these opportunities continue to be afforded to Wabash students moving forward.
