A yearly reflection

This week in the Independent Study and Mentorship program, I ensured I kept up to date on my assignments and catching back up on everything I needed to do. Although I have fallen a bit behind in the past few weeks, I wanted to make sure I was using my time efficiently and in the best way possible despite the circumstances of this year. Although it has been a complex process, the opportunities of growth I have experienced throughout this year have changed my perception. Despite not having a mentor, I did get to see firsthand how Colorerectial cancer can impact one's families and how the diagnosis process works. On September 26th, 2020, I found out my mother had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. This news was given to me about five weeks into my ISM journey and truly changed my perception of the process. The thing I had been so interested in and enjoyed researching became a harsh reality of my everyday life. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, it allowed me to become more intrigued by what I was studying and think of how I could change the diagnostic process for others. As of now, my mom is going through some of her last Chemotherapy treatments and is recovering smoothly. However, it took me a long time to process this and be comfortable sharing my story. Through this story, however, I learned a lot more about the importance of preventative screening, which led me to design my app NAG-XC or NAGxCancer, intended to remind people when it is time to get screened specific types of cancer. It was an enjoyable process. However, I do not want to make the app into an authentic product for my final presentation because that requires coding skills beyond my level, but I am looking into developing it in the next year of ISM. My main focus for my final product and presentation will be my paper on E-Cadherins Which I intend to finish in the following weeks. My article will cover changes in adhesion and their effect on the cellular process and cancer development.Furthermore, my paper will cover how these interact and their identification. Research studies have shown their promising results in possible future treatments through the identification of these cellular processes. Lastly, I hope to fluently explain this to an audience of mostly friends and close family for my final presentation, who may need more guidance in understanding my topic.