1. Reflective essay: RISE's Summer Bridge Experience
By: Angélica M. González-Sánchez
When I decided to apply to the RISE program by entering the Summer Bridge, I never thought
that it would be such a remarkable experience. At first, I was really scared because I would have to be out
of home for a long time, like I have never done before. I was also intimidated by the tons of work that the
professors told us that we would have to do, as well as by the competitiveness of getting chosen to still be
in the RISE program by the end of the summer. Getting adapted to a new home and to university life
wasn’t easy at first, but then, when I started to know the other students who were also entering the
program I saw in them my own reflection, all the fear, the insecurity, but –at the same time- all the faith,
the passion for work and all the friendship to give. That was when I understood what the RISE program is
really about: getting potential young scientist prepared for all the situations that they can find on research
life so that they can feel confident and enhance themselves in the scientific community.
The first week can be summarized as the week of acquaint because we got familiarized with
everything: the houses, our housemates, the chaperones, our professors, the campus and with university
life as a whole. We also got to some workshops with various professors between which was Professor
Elena González, Ph. D. These workshops taught us about important technological skills. Then, after the
workshops, since it was a requirement of the Summer Bridge, we started taking a course of Introductory
Biology (BIOL 3095) which was taught by Professor Eneida Díaz, Ph.D. This course was mainly about all
the essential terms and topics on Biology. It continued developing in complexity, form the simplest
concepts to the hardest ones, until the end of the summer. This course resulted quite interesting because,
since Biology is the study of life and we are alive, it has some kind of direct relationship with us. I also
think that this course is very useful because it gives us a broad knowledge about the processes of life,
which helps us understand almost everything alive that surrounds us as well as ourselves.
While taking the Biology class in the mornings, we were also taking a Biology Lab class, but in the
afternoons. This one was taken with Professor Edwin Vázquez, P.h.D. In this lab we were able to apply all
the knowledge we learned in Biology and, that way, we got to see some of the most amazing and complex
processes of this discipline. I really enjoyed getting to use some lab equipment that I haven’t even seen
before in my life and, most importantly, to use those instruments to achieve the lab procedures. As part of
the Lab course curriculum, we were asked to write a research proposal and to present it to a panel of
students and professors. The creation of this proposal was meaningful; it took many hours of sleep away
from us, along with the other hours that the biology tests required to study well. On the other hand, all of
the sacrifices were satisfactory in the end because my proposal had a full acceptance and got me a good
grade. The combination of all the hard work and organization finally paid off well because I got officially
accepted on the selected RISE program, for which I can say that this was one of the most enriching
summers of my life.
Although most of our work in the RISE program was to study and make homework, there was also
time to go out and to share. First, as part of our Biology class, we went with Professor Robert Ross, Ph. D.
to study trips to El Yunque, Guánica’s Dry Forest and Ponce’s School of Medicine. On these study trips we
got descriptive tours on each of the locations, collected data for our lab projects, got conferences and
shared with our classmates, chaperones, professors and with other scientists. After each study trip, we
had to make reports, papers and reflections on them. These study trips were very enjoyable and unique to
me because I have never gone before to none of the places we visited in the summer and because they gave
me a chance to observe further and to make analysis that I would have never done before if I haven’t
improved my research skills.

2. One of the most significant things of this summer was the fact of living under the same roof with
eight strangers and as immediate neighbors of 16 others, which then became just like family. At first, it
was hard adapting to the coexistence, because of our different manners and personalities, but then, when
we got to know well each other very strong friendships, which still exist, surged. After a few weeks we even
organized ourselves in teams for the cleansing of the house and helped each other with homework and
tests. It can be said that this summer was even more amazing than what I already described because of the
people in it, which are ones of the most amazing persons I’ve ever met. They were the ones who made my
stressful days become a little lighter, making the road much easier. From our friendships and all the
experiences we lived together, is from where the memories, captured many times in mental pictures or in
tangible photos, come from.
In conclusion, I can say that this Summer Bridge Experience was more than unforgettable; it was
a “once-in-a-lifetime” situation. This summer internship changed drastically the perspective that I had on
life because it opened my eyes to so many things that once were unknown. RISE has made me a more
sociable person because it helped me cultivate some very strong friendships and relate to other
professionals in the Science field. As a freshman student, it has helped me to be more prepared for the
beginning of my university life because it has given me a head-start on everything related to it. In terms
of a human being, this program has made me a more patient and effortful person because it showed me
that, even when times seem to be hard, it is possible to do what you want if you really try your best. In the
research area this program has been amazing for me because, first of all, it has helped me to be more
organized. It has also made me develop useful lab skills and, last but not least, it has taught me what
research is all about and some methods to succeed in it. To conclude, I would say that the memories of
this summer will last a lifetime because they will be reflected in the change it has made to myself by
making me a better young scientist in all the senses of life.
Each and every of the previously described experiences are available here in my electronic
portfolio, for you to see them. Hope you enjoy them!