It’s been two years since I participated as a student in BioGENEius. Last year I presented my work at the White House Science Fair and now I am privileged to attend BioGENEius 2013 as a judge.
BioGENEius 2013 is in Chicago this year and as a student at Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, I jumped at the chance to attend again. As I joined the judges and learned about their backgrounds, I felt honored to be in the presence of such esteemed and established professionals.
Judging was divided into three rounds and during each of the rounds, I looked at five projects. This process enabled me to look at 15 of the 30 posters, and while it was a long and grueling day I wish I had the chance to talk to each and every one of the participants individually. I imagined myself in their shoes not too long ago and I remember the anticipation and excitement I had felt as judges came by.
As part of the Challenge, I also had an opportunity to interact with the students more informally as I shared my experiences from a program alumnus perspective during a networking breakfast hosted for the students.
The returning students knew how the convention worked and because of their experiences were able to share the logistics of the process with the first time participants. Each and every one of them was full of excitement and anticipation!
They looked forward to the many events lying ahead such as the trip to the planetarium, the evening banquet, and the BIO convention. They wanted to maximize their time at BioGENEius and were already off to a great start.
Everybody enjoyed mingling at the reception and dinner and it was very insightful to hear Dr. Almond and Dr. Siegel speak regarding their perspectives of the BioGENEius program. The weekend had gone by very quickly but I enjoyed every moment of it. Hopefully more students will continue to stay involved and participate as alumni because it was a truly a very fulfilling experience.