KAPAL-워싱턴중앙일보 공동주최 바이오캠프 에세이 수상작

수상자 조이 김

From examining zebrafish, to exploring science laboratories and genomics, to traveling around the enormous campuses of NIH and Johns Hopkins, I would describe this Biocamp as diverse.

There were so many different events that introduced new experiences and memories. Of course, there were the tiring stretches of walking, which seemed endless at some points, but those hikes around the campuses reminded me just how extensive the fields of health and biology really are. Throughout this Biocamp, my perspective on biology has changed, and I believe that I have become more open-minded.

Coming into the Biocamp, I had no idea what to expect. I wondered, “Am I going to be in a classroom sort of environment, or am I going to be in an in-the-field, interactive type of environment?”. I am very grateful that it ended up being both.

At the NIH campus, I toured the many different institutes, including the Clinical Center, the library, and the Genome Research Institute. At the Johns Hopkins campus, Dr. Kang escorted us through the various medical clinics and taught us about his research in neurology. I got to experience both the hands on and classroom environments during this camp.

In my opinion, I enjoyed participating in the tours of the campuses and labs more than sitting in the classroom, but that is as expected from most people. In both circumstances, I had to be very open-minded and tentative. Whether it was sitting down and listening to a presentation or going from place to place and learning about new things, I had to be ready and try to grasp the complicated information that was prepared.

Throughout this camp, I was amazed at how little I knew compared to the huge fields of biology and health. One event in particular was the Macrogen Clinical Lab tour. At this event, they taught us about genomics and the splicing of DNA.

They operated and handled million-dollar machines every day. It was very special just being in the presence of those expensive and fancy machines. I was reminded of how amazing God is: how he created such a detailed and comprehensive world that we can never fully come to understand.

I am very thankful for this biocamp program. I have gained a much-needed reminder to be open-minded and to have a desire to keep learning. It was best said by Anthony J. D’Angelo, “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow”. This biocamp gave me the passion to learn about the constantly expanding field of biology.