Chance to do 'real science' excites student

If you look at her, you realize that the scientist spouting this complicated information is a high school student.

Muniba is one of 13 students at the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany who are taking part in an elective course that immerses students in an area of science that interests them.

Real science

The program is unique in that it lets high school students study an area of science that interests them and do so under the direction of a professional scientist.

"This is really science," said teacher Donna Mooney. "This is the doing of science. This is where science is discovered. It is the essence of science."

In the lab

For example, Muniba is part of a research team at the Wadsworth Center in Albany where she spends a minimum of five hours a week at the lab. During vacations, she spent whole days there. This summer, she has been offered a job at the center, where she will continue her research.

Of her time in the lab, she said, "You forget you're working because you love it so much."

Immersed

The Holy Name student has made every part of this course a learning experience. "My mentor let me make my own mistakes," she said. "Being wrong isn't always bad."

Muniba is clearly pleased with this course. "It gives people who truly love science an opportunity to apply what they learn," she said.

Discovery

"It just amazed me that I could have the opportunity to go into a science lab," she said. "I think it's such a fascinating thing asking questions and discovering answers."

Caitlin hopes to find a cure for cancer. She is studying the treatment of cancer, using toxins from marine organisms. She is currently looking for a mentor to work under.

"I've been interested in cancer from the beginning," she said. "Then I found a small article about a marine toxin used to prevent tumor growth. I've narrowed my topic now."

Confidence

"When they're working with scientists and given responsibility and completing the tasks," Mrs. Mooney said, "they gain a tremendous amount of confidence."

School principal Mary Anne Vigliante also has seen the students develop confidence through this program. "It's an outstanding program," she said. "I'm hugely impressed by their confidence level with the subject matter, and am equally impressed with the character and determination they show."

Teamwork

"It's given me a sense of independence and shown me what I can do," she explained. "But you're also a part of a team doing major research. Teamwork and team cooperation are important. I'm beginning to value group cooperation. I think it's preparing me for the real world."

The students and school staff aren't the only ones impressed by the program. "Every mentor I've communicated with said the students work very hard in working and designing the project," Mrs. Mooney said. "They have been very pleased with the people they were mentoring."

While students in the class hope to make a significant contribution to science, there are other benefits to the class. The students learn that even if their hypothesis is disproved, their time in the lab was valuable.

"The teachers stress doing your best," Muniba said. "They tell us to set a goal and accomplish your goal."

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