"I had a blast this summer as a high school researcher in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. I got to conduct experiments in a cutting-edge college lab and connect with innovative and passionate people, such as Dr. Onur Apul and Mr. Ritchie LaFaille. They were both great mentors to me and I am very thankful that they provided me this opportunity. Every day this summer I came in to run microwave tests with different materials to track changes in soil. Through my experiments, I learned a lot about soil remediation and how it directly impacts the global community. This opportunity has strengthened by zeal for environmentalism and I hope to use it as an inspiration to pursue a career in the STEM field."