Skylie Herrera

This was a continuing meeting from the very first that was attended, which helped you construct an efficient research proposal. This meeting focused specifically on data collection and how to conduct different tests to get actual data, such as graphs and tables. Dr. Clarke explained how to use Excel to collect numerical data and how to organize it efficiently so that it would be easy to understand. She also taught us how to run a t-test, which was something that I had never done before. It is typically recommended for two samples and to actually see if there was a difference in the results, even if it was small. This type of test is recommended when you are trying to compare, which is what I think I might use for my research. When I first started my research, I didn't really know how to format my data, so I made multiple graphs in hopes it made sense. However, with this new format I will be able to actually compare the datat I collected and whether my hypothesiss was wrong or right.

This was an educational meeting on biodiversity and the importance of making sure that we aren't urbanizing more than what our ecosystems can support. Our professor, Dr. Clarke, also explained some of the research that she had collected on pollinators and how they contribute to biodiversity. Since they help pollinate plants, which cause them to thrive but she also focused on the different types of pollinators that er present and what they could mean. Later, we helped plant plants and take weeds out to contribute to the betterment of the ecosystem. Which was actually very horrible due to the poor soil condition, and has recently started to thrive through the regulation of planting and weeding out, and the presence of pollinators. This was an introduction to a lab report that we wrote as groups on why biodiversity is important.

n this meeting, Dr. Clarke, my Biology professor at the time, introduced some of the events that the club attends and also gave a workshop on how to build a research proposal. It was extremely in-depth, and she gave us examples of strong research questions and weak ones. She also provided examples of different styles of research that may benefit your topic a lot more. I had started conducting research on my topic in high school, but it was hard to get an advisor who could help me out with my research. It was something that she was also helping out on, depending on what topic you were interested in. It was mainly focused on the first couple of parts of a research proposal, such as the research question, hypothesis, and background information. She did make it clear that it is important to understand where your data is coming from and whether or not it is reliable, since that impacts the credibility of your research as well as citing the information that is not yours.

The ReFresh session was just a reminder of what we have to do this semester to be in a good standing with the special scholarship program and most importantly it was an informational session. It provided us with details of how to gain our engagement hours and to check our email constantly so that we are not missing any information that is being sent to us. I enjoyed how the presentation was a Kahoot game it made it much more engaging and fun to participate in. I have nothing else to add on. Most of the stuff is still the same the only thing that changes was how you have to complete the engagement hours in the school community.

I have always taken part in helping the religious education program, whether helping plan events, cleaning, or singing when they need me to. In this case, this was a retreat in which I was able to focus on helping our students deepen their faith in God. It was interesting because you had to approach people differently. Not everyone wanted to participate as much as other students, so getting them out of their comfort zone was a struggle. The preparation for this retreat was challenging. I had to attend multiple meetings and go to prayer nights as well as make it to rehearsals for our rules skit. Then we would spend our whole day guiding our groups and trying to engage them with what our speakers were saying, and our priest was also saying. Not getting enough sleep was worth it. The joy and excitement in their faces were everything. Having to make sure that the boys and girls were in their cabins was a struggle, and making sure that everyone was in the bus when we were getting ready to leave. It felt nice to be part of a team and see so much progress being made with the kids. It is something I'm looking towards next year.