Abby Smith

If I were to tell everything that I learned, experienced, and pushed through at Michigan State, this post would probably get too personal, and I’d have to publish a book. Here’s the highlights.

I arrived at the Lansing airport in a bit of a daze after my finals prep and frenzied packing just the day before. My classes still weren’t over officially, but I had worked out a way between my professors and my mentor to still be able to finish the quarter properly. Online exams were in my near future, but I wasn’t worried about them. I was finally in Michigan. After being picked up at the airport and settling into my dorm room with a box fan on full blast, I had a nervous first dinner at Shaw with a couple of the other students that were in the same boat as me. After the first week of tours, seminars, and meetings, soon enough I was in the lab, and it quickly became my happy place. Learning about my research project, asking my mentor a million questions about everything, and developing skills with new techniques became my average workday. Even in the later part of my stay, I continuously learned things about plant biochemistry I had never imagined I’d understand or even be interested in. Thanks to my endlessly supportive lab and mentor, I rarely went long frustrated or confused.

My adventures outside of the lab were the truly exciting part of this experience. I visited urban areas like Chicago, Detroit, and Ann Arbor, to name a few, but simply biking and walking around campus with friends was an adventure in itself. I went to natural places: The Saugatuck Dunes on Lake Michigan on my birthday, various smaller local lakes and parks, and I even went rock climbing on a bluff next to a river. All this, of course, was accomplished with the exploratory enthusiasm and company of my cohort. Even though most of the people I spent my time with were not a part of the GLBRC SURP, we were paired with the larger Plant Genomics REU cohort, which gave me a whole pool of friends I never imagined I would make. Every person I met added something positive to my experience. It was the most beautiful, supportive environment imaginable, surrounded by the coolest, most truly inclusive group of people that I have ever been counted in. Our time together was unforgettable, and I must see them again. 

If you’re considering if this program at MSU is the place for you, I would easily recommend it. It provided for me the space I needed to rediscover myself and to learn exactly what it is I want my future to look like (granted I don’t have it all figured out; I feel like I have a good head start now.) Also, if you’re in range to drive yourself: do that. Everyone’s always looking for a ride to the next adventure, and it’s a great way to make friends.