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Seeking Amid Challenges, Growing Through Connections: Summer Research Project Sharing

September 22, 2026

On the morning of September 18th, Andrea, a Grade 12 student, shared her experience at the Summer Science Program (SSP), a five-week research program held across the United States and Canada. Students qualify into four major tracks, and she attended the Bacterial Genomics program on a campus in Canada. Through photos, stories, and reflections, she introduced us not only to the program itself, but to the people and experiences that made it unforgettable.



Andrea first walked her peers through what a typical day looked like. Mornings began with lectures; afternoons were spent in the lab; work often continued until nine at night. Every Wednesday, a guest speaker joined them — usually a co-author of a scientific paper the students had read for homework beforehand, so that they could genuinely interact and ask questions.



Students spent thirteen to fourteen hours a day together, and worked in groups of three. The science itself was demanding, and the work was not easy. Experiments did not always go as planned, and the teachers would not intervene. Only about one-third of the cohort finished their experiment successfully, and hers was among them. She admitted she was anxious most of the time and prayed every day.



One of the most meaningful parts of her experience came from the people around her. She spoke of a student who had suffered a concussion, recovered, and found a genuine passion for biology, now researching the brain. Another who seemed to know everything. A human calculator. A student who coded an entire program to help the team find mutations faster, saving two full days of work. Another who scored extremely high in the USABO semifinals. Others with four varsity sports, or three instruments. She reflected that almost everyone was at the top of their school, and that being surrounded by them changed how she saw her own work. Behind every project were personal struggles, hopes, and motivations that gave the research genuine human meaning.



Finally, Andrea encouraged students to pursue opportunities in research and academic exploration, even if they initially seem intimidating. She emphasized that experiences like SSP are valuable not only because of results or competition outcomes, but because of the perspectives and inspiration gained from friendships throughout the journey. Her words: "The purpose of these programs is meeting more people—improving yourself and meeting new people. These two go hand in hand."


(Written by 12(1)  Andrea Lei   Photos by Andrea Lei   Supervised by Zhang Dongsheng Reviewed by Wu Chen, Zuo Qian)