The TGEN summer program is a two-week summer leadership academy which was offered to students to apply for to further their scientific research. TGEN stands for Translational Genomics Research Institute which is a non-profit research center based in Phoenix. For this program 20 high school students learn about the work that TGEN does.  

Karen Hutchinson, chemistry teacher, informed her students about this program. She mentioned, “If you are interested in pursuing research or science, this gives you exposure to what that looks like at the professional level, and it also helps you develop opportunities with like-minded students your age and professionals who are willing to mentor you.”

Junior, Julia Kwon applied for the program. She plans to go on and major in neuroscience. Kwon remarked, “I hope to get more background knowledge of bioscience and more experience on biomedical research. I also hope to gain leadership and communication skills.” 

Sophomore Evan De Melo, another student who applied for this program, explained how he hopes to learn more about biomedical research and enhance his leadership skills. He commented, “I am planning to be an anesthesiologist or an orthopedic surgeon, so I am thinking that more medically related programs and research overall will be more beneficial to me.”

This program is highly selective, with two rounds of selection. In round one the applications are reviewed by community leaders in education. The second round is when applicants are interviewed by community leaders to see if they would be good for the program. Nonetheless, this program is a great opportunity for students to understand the medical field.