Interview with a TAG staff member - #3

It's time for our third and final interview with one of the TAG staff members. This time, we are learning from Laura Park what it's like to be involved with the project.

What are you taking in school? What year are you entering?

I am going into the last (4th) year of my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, and my program consists of a Psychology and Human Biology Double major with a Physiology minor.

What made you apply to be a research assistant for Spit for Science?

First of all, who doesn’t want to be a part of a team called Spit for Science? More importantly, as a science student, I have always had interest in scientific research, learning about it at school. This research assistant position is an excellent opportunity for a student like me to actually be a part of the real research process and work with other students from different universities who have similar interests.

What is your favourite part of the job?

I love seeing the different reactions from children and parents when we ask for their spit, but my favourite aspect of the job may be the fact that I get the opportunity to fulfill children’s curiosity in science, especially the topic of genes. We get to meet all sorts of personalities; shy kids who would turn around to spit so we won’t be able to see them, or some who are able to fill up the test tube with saliva in one shot. All of this combined with the ethnic diversity of visitors coming to the Ontario Science Centre everyday makes it a fascinating work environment.

Why are you interested in science?

I have always been interested in science because it explains the world around us. Everything we do in a day involves science; what we eat and how our body regulates it, how we cook our food, how we learn at school, how cars work, how the sun rises…..it’s endless. It’s fascinating because science explains all the mechanics behind what we take for granted in our everyday lives. Also, science is interesting because it is such a dynamic field. It is never static; there are always new scientific findings to explore.

What surprising thing have you learned about yourself so far this summer, or what new skill have you learned this summer?

I have always been afraid of giving speeches or presentations in front of a large group of people. However, by giving hot spot presentations about genes and the TAG project at the Ontario Science Centre, I have been able to overcome my stage fear. Also, not having any younger siblings, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to interact with young children. I was surprised and excited to see my energy and enthusiasm, combined with that of other TAG team members contributing to the project - attracting and recruiting children and adolescents, helping them play the computer game, and encouraging them to salivate in all sorts of ways particularly through vivid descriptions of their favourite food!