--Carlos Estrada

A few miles west from California’s capital sits the city of Davis, touted as one of the best places to live in California due to its environmentally friendly policies, safety, superb K-12 schools, and an easy-going lifestyle enjoyed by its community. The city arguably owes such a high standard of living thanks to its world-renowned university, UC Davis, which employs a large number of the city’s inhabitants.

-- Celena Lozano

I began community college  with Intermediate Algebra, supplemented by Intro to Computers (“Hmm, I like computers. This may be fun.”) and Cultural Anthropology (no idea how I chose that). I did not speak to a counselor, so I was clueless. I figured that taking classes at a community college would help me look good when I went up for my juvenile court case.

-- Colton Baumler

I never thought I would be a research scientist until the opportunity was all but thrust upon me during my undergraduate tenure by Dr. Mary Ann Yang, a faculty member at my alma mater. Dr. Yang focused on my development as a researcher and in doing so, invited me into a career I had never considered.

-- Alyssa Paparella 

--Amy Leslie

The UC Davis Molecular and Cell Biology T32 Training Program Retreat was the highlight of my October. Why?

• A half day in the lab
• a scenic road trip with others in the PREP cohort to Fallen Leaf Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
• A weekend filled with scientific talks in South Lake Tahoe.

Science + congenial company + recreation in a beautiful setting -- what more could you want?

When I first came into the Trimmer lab at the start of my PREP experience, I felt like I did not know anything. It was an overwhelming experience to be sure. Now, as I am leaving, I have learned how to execute new assays, navigate the lab space and design experiments. All of this has helped prepare me for the similar process at the start of graduate school. In this blog I want to offer the pieces of advice I would give myself if I were starting this year over again.

I've worked in a research lab since I was a freshman in college. I even worked full time in a lab during the summer, but doing a year of full-time research was a new experience, an exciting experience.

From our first NSF-GRFP writing seminar, to the day the application was due, I can wholeheartedly say that the most significant part of the experience was the constant support from Dan, Carole, my PI -- Dr. Anna La Torre, the two graduate student volunteers -- Sharon Lee and George Bell, and the other PREP scholars. I know undoubtedly that without their helpful comments and feedback, I would have not submitted a competitive application and I would not have the privilege to say I am an NSF GRFP Fellow. THANK YOU!

I was very happy when I was invited to interview with the UC Davis Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) graduate program and I immediately called my family and friends to tell them the good news. After that, I had two things I mind: what would the interviews be like and how do I prepare?

In the spring of 2017, I was a Biochemistry major looking to embark on the next step toward a graduate program. I applied to the PREP@UC Davis post baccalaureate program hoping to strengthen my research skills and apply to a PhD program.

The last ten months as a PREP Scholar have been quite the learning experience.