Summer break is usually intended to take a pause from the textbooks, but for some William S. Hart Union High School District students, vacation came with seven weeks of college-level cancer research at the University of California, Los Angeles.
About 17 students from Castaic High School, Valencia High School and West Ranch High School were given the opportunity to investigate a question of their choice focused on cancer research, read science-based literature and then present in front of a panel of experts their thesis for the Research in Focus Summer program.
Students were expected to attend mandatory classes, complete assignments, and learn from one another in a college-level setting, offering a challenging, yet unique experience.
Castaic High School science teacher Kate Song, who also is the director and founder of the program, said in an interview with The Signal that the research focused on different aspects of cancer and,even with advanced placement classes under their belt, students said it was a lot harder than expected.
“It really required like deeper college-level understanding of the science,” she said. Many students stated that the most challenging part wasn’t the presentation itself, which was the culmination of the program, but more so learning how to decipher complex language and science terms in the required reading.
They were only allowed to read peer-reviewed articles, but “I think it really does strengthen their background knowledge,” Song said. “The whole seven weeks is such a journey. It’s probably the most difficult, challenging thing that these students have ever needed to do. I think they realized, oh, this isn’t just like your typical high school group project. This is really difficult.”
Among those students was Castaic High junior Addalyn Fractor, who was the member of the bronze medalist team. Their focus was on leukemia, and how a specific targeted drug could stop blood cancer cells from multiplying.
For her, the most challenging part was gathering all the research materials, and learning how to best present in front of others.
Throughout the seven-week program, it inspired her to pursue a research-based career, and helped her learn how to manage problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Fractor and other students were also given the opportunity to work collaboratively with UCLA researchers, which she described as a “really cool experience,” she said. “I’d say that cancer research is very, for some cancers, underfunded and that should change.”
Valencia High junior Ryan Fekrazad ended the program as a silver medalist and also won the best speaker award.
What caught his attention about the program was the opportunity of learning alongside UCLA staff, which isn’t usually reserved for high school students, he said. As someone who wants to pursue a career in medicine, Fekrazad noted that the program was perfect for him to get a better understanding of what to expect.
He learned how to work as a team with his peers, and also learned to understand complex ideas in the scientific field and explain it to others who may not.
“It’s important for students to have opportunities like this because if you want to go into the field of medicine, being able to get a head start, like being able to even read and comprehend scientific literature can go a long way,” Fekrazad said, and added that if other students were interested in joining, making friends with the same interests and they could collaborate with, will make it a lot easier.
