As a Research Assistant at NC State in the Department of Biochemistry, I worked on a projectwith two other students. Initially, I chose to join the team and assist in these projects because it aligned with my goals of pursing research in a microbiological setting, and to have a chance at publishingsome exciting research in the field of vector mediated gene silencing in plants. As a result of thisexperience, I gained valuable laboratory skills and developed new ways of critically thinking andproblem solving in the research setting. This project involved determining the efficacy of a new inoculation strategy in inducing Agrobacterium infection in Arabidopsis.As a Teaching Assistant at NC State, I thoroughly mastered the material covered in the courses and co-led problem sessions with the professor. In addition, I tutored students and graded their coursework. This position prepared me well for understanding the conceptual aspects of biochemistry, given that I was required to explain the material to other students. This position also taught me how to be punctual and diligent, given the number of students in our courses at the time. In addition, the laboratory and critical thinking skills that I acquired in both my Microbiology minor and Research Assistant position have prepared me well for research in molecular biology. I have experience with a wide variety of laboratory techniques, including glycerol stock creation, bacterial transformation, PCR, SDS-PAGE, plating, etc. I also have experience in interpreting scientific data and condensing such material into a paper.During my time as a manager at Pullen Park in Raleigh, I learned how to be a leader through managing my employees and learned to problem solve. This problem solving involved resolving issues with guests and between employees, as well as creating new, safe ways for handicapped patrons to be able to enjoy the train ride at the park- Pullen Park's main attraction. This leadership transferred into other positions such as Mako Medical and Eurofins Lancaster PSS, where I diligently looked for ways to improve the process in these labs. I suggested things such as new pipettes, new methods and created more efficient SOPs.