What is one thing you wish more people knew about research?

Diana: You are not only discovering more about the chosen subject, but also discovering more about yourself. While doing research you discover your preferred working methods, working hours, and even working places. You might realise you feel more inspired while being outside in nature than in your room, or even at a cafe. You are able to see the level of determination and discipline you hold because research is all about trying to know everything about the subject, and discovering you know nothing close to everything about it. You might even discover you are good at writing or doing specific drawings. Through research you are able to reveal your character traits that you were maybe not aware of before, and from there on you have the opportunity to better yourself in the ways you consider.

Tell us what you specifically loved about the Research Bootcamp.

Diana: The program was overall amazing from all aspects. Specifically, I loved the fact that we were put in groups with individuals from all parts of the world. I loved this international team everyone got to be part of because I was able to discover different perspectives among the same subjects, and I found this the most valuable thing. I got exposed to very diverse methods of thinking and of working which pushed me to break my limits and and think outside the box. Because of the international team I had, I managed to find innovative new ways of working and conducting a research. I also loved the fact that we were given constant feedback from advisors that really helped improve the quality of our research paper. Every team member was extremely involved in the process of paraphrasing or changing anything within our research paper to really make it the best we could. The involvement I saw from others pushed me to do extra work and researching because I realized that it could make a difference within our group.

When you think about the future of research and where it’s headed in the next decade, what role do you hope to play in shaping that future?

Diana: Research has a promising future because we advance daily in terms of technology. I hope to be a contributor to these developments in the next years by creating new algorithms or discovering new insight into the field. I want to do a master in biomedical engineering and create robots or even dive deep into researching about machine learning algorithms and how we can implement those to the research field. I hope to help create new methods of research which will make it accessible to even more people so we can discover more than we know about our planet and even our whole galaxy.

Is the program ideal for young high school students considering research is a very vast and advanced field?

Diana: I would recommend each and every high school student to consider applying for this program even if they do not have previous experience in the field. This bootcamp is tailored so as to be understood by everyone regardless their experience or age. Even if the research field is very vast and advanced, with the right guidance (which this program provides), you can become a little researcher within weeks and also publish your paper and receive recognition. This program is ideal for young high school students as you learn from zero all the aspects that a research paper must have and how to create them. There are videos for each and every chapter of the research paper which help immensely in your writing process. The videos are very well structured and ideas are clear, they even give examples for everything. Plus, you have advisors available for you at almost any time during this program which give you valuable feedback on how to improve. It is impossible not to succeed writing a research paper with this program and I recommend it to everyone. It truly is beginner friendly!

What song is the soundtrack to your life?

Diana: “Whatever it takes” by Imagine Dragons is the soundtrack of my life. It is very representative because I have always been and will continue to be determined to go after my dreams even if they seem impossible at the moment. Step by step I work towards achieving everything I want in life with a carefully made out plan. What drives my determination is the fact that I want to reward my parents for investing in me, believing in me, and most importantly encouraging me in anything that I have done and will do throughout my life. I see every rejection as a redirection and every acceptance as a sign that I am going in the right way. I take a well thought approach to anything I do because this is the way I can improve myself.

What individual inspires you?

Diana: My father inspires me the most because he works extremely hard, and even so, he is always trying his best to enjoy life and adopt a positive attitude towards everything. He is the definition of success in my eyes. Even if he did not succeed academically, he is determined to work so as to provide me with the opportunities he never had. He managed to create the most loving family, he is kind, funny and knows how to enjoy life. He gives unconditional love and is very happy. My father inspires me to never give up in front of a difficult task or if something does not go my way, because he taught me that things will work out eventually. The discipline I have is thanks to him and I will always keep him as the perfect example on how to enjoy life despite drawbacks.