I have been learning about cancer since I was in 10th grade. It is something that I never loose interest in, and plan to keep doing for the rest of my life. I started at the beginning of my 10th grade summer, where we learned the basics of cancer and watched as our mentor ran experiments. This carried all the way to my 11th grade year. During the summer prior to my senior year, I went to Vanderbilt to study and conduct my own experiments on pancreatic cancer. This half of the experience was a culture shock. For the first 2-3 weeks, I was incredibly confused. I almost gave up, but decided against it. After finishing the experience, I’m glad I didn’t give up. During the last week, I gave a presentation of my findings, and was asked to come back to continue my research. Cancer has impacted my family greatly, and that is one of the main reasons I keep pushing to learn more.