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Virtual Reality Student Researcher

June 2017 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

The independence and freedom to do research and pursue ideas I was curious about.

What I wish was different

I do not know.

Advice

Research is a really great way to explore your interests and try to answer questions you may have and I think everyone should get involved with it.

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Office Assistant

June 2020 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

I love the support system you get from your coworkers and supervisors.

What I wish was different

That it had been in-person!!

Advice

Have at least one on-campus job during your time in college; it’s an amazing way to make friends and give back to your school community.

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Biology Research Intern

June - September 2020 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

I liked being a part of a research lab and working one on one with mentors in my field.

What I wish was different

I wish things could have been in person, and I wish I could have been more actively engaged in my project.

Advice

It was an amazing experience and definitely helped round out my scientific skills.

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Academic Personnel/ Payroll Specialist

June 2019 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

It's a very stable environment overall, particularly working for the same university that you graduated from. If it's the route you'd like to take, I'd recommend starting in a position in your undergrad, and do good work in it. It allows you to build connections, practice managing time and responsibility, and gaining valuable experience you can learn from.

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Research felllow

July 2020 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

I was able to get to know my faculty advisor and fellow researchers and learn about the research and publication process as an undergrad

What I wish was different

Since I haven't done this type of research before, it would have been nice to have more of an introduction to how the process works and what it should look like off the bat to avoid a lot of the small mistakes we made, but we did get to learn by doing.

Advice

Ask lots of questions if you don't understand something or want to learn more, since your advisor is there to help and guide you.

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Research assistant

April 2018 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

I was ability to gain in experience in several important research areas and expand my resume. I also received valuable mentoring that has helped me in my job searching experience.

What I wish was different

I haven't enjoyed a few of my assignments, but they provided useful skills and experiences so I'm still happy to have done them.

Advice

Getting a research position can be really tricky without knowing someone. Keep in mind, that getting to know your professors isn't the only way to find a lab to work. I ended up working with my TA after sending all sorts of emails to professors and never hearing back.

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Undergraduate Researcher

January 2021 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

The support and resources available for minority students

What I wish was different

Advice

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Marketing

June 2021 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

Working with others on branding

What I wish was different

It was in person

Advice

trying to learn and adapt to the times

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iGEM Co-Captain

September 2020 • Santa Cruz, CA

What I liked

In iGEM, the undergraduates on the team have (almost) complete control on their project direction, lab techniques, and outreach. I got to build a synthetic biology project from the ground up, being supported at every turn by our mentor and other faculty both at UCSC and external. It allowed me to discover parts of science I never knew existed, and put me in direct contact with the leading researchers in the field.