(authored by Prutha H. Patel)
Some of my favourite memories have been those we classify as ‘full circle moments’. It is in these moments that I can wholly reflect on the growth and progress I have made in my (20 years of) life thus far – be this personally, professionally, or academically. One of those moments was being selected as a 2022 national ambassador for Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF), and part of the team which organizes and executes the national science fair.
Science fair was a strong force in my persistence for expanding out of my comfort zone during my teen years. I remember knocking on the BCI science department office doors as a Grade 8, and meeting with Ms. Mallard to ask her if she could lend some glass test tubes, Lugols’ solution, and pH strips. Slowly but surely, the equipment became more technical: kitchen aprons became lab coats, and vitamin C tablets became ovarian cell cultures. Along the way, science fair enabled me with a formulaic approach to connect with opportunities for self-growth, introspection, and critical learning. I met incredible people doing creative and compelling research in their own fields and appreciated the chance to cultivate friendships with like-minded peers across the country, some of whom I am still connected with to this day. My participation in RSLSF led to advancement to CWSF, where I saw leadership in play from the purple-clad national ambassadors. It was a true full circle moment to don the purple shirt myself and become part of the effort to put on a successful pandemic virtual fair in 2022 and support middle and high school scientists through an unconventional but unique experience. At the end of the day, the most satisfactory aspect of any leadership role is the effect it has on the people you support. More satisfactory than seeing the young scientists gaining recognition and accolades was hearing something along the lines of “I can’t wait to get started on my next project”.
I was delighted to stick true to my modus operandi and give back to an organisation which helped pave my interests in women’s health research, by paying it forward to the next generation. However the organisation which was my true starting point in research was the Rideau St. Lawrence Science Fair. The past two years as a part of the Rideau St. Lawrence Science Fair committee as the Youth Representative and as a Committee Member, have allowed me to truly appreciate the cogs and people behind the wheel. It is a pleasure to work alongside the same committed people which helped me to register, set-up, and move forward to national science fairs through progress meetings and feedback. It follows that I frequently experience déjà vu moments!
If there’s one thing that scientific research has taught me best, it is that identifying the constants in your experimental equation allows one to appreciate the equation better. Constants provide the stable structure that determine the experimental outlook. The constants in my life have been the unwavering support from my family (shoutout mom, dad, and Kenny!) and my unrelenting optimism. If there’s one piece of advice I could give to young scientists, it would be to find your constants … and work to build your full-circle moments from there.
Sincerely,
Prutha H. Patel
