This past summer I had the phenomenal opportunity of attending the Heritage Youth Researcher Summer Program offered by Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions. 
Working under Dr. Careem in the department of Ecosystem and Public Health at the University f Calgary, I experienced first-handedly both the physical and mental aspects of health research. As opposed to the 60 minute labs that we as high school students are commonly accustomed to, it was shocking to discover the rigor and extensive time consumption that went into even a single experiment in the real Lab setting. Experiments often ranged from 5 to 10 hours, and with the addition of stringent protocol steps, I quickly found myself completely worn out by the end of each day. Another shocking discovery came from the heavy emphasis that was placed upon results by researchers. Experimental results are heavily analyzed, and revisions to previous protocols are constantly being made to address problems that arise in results. At times, the final results that were gathered from months of research were completely disregarded, and entire projects were forced to start over. 
Of course, my lab work was only half of the package provided in HYRS. The other half of the program made up for the social aspects of HYRS, and provided just as much of a learning experience as the lab portion of the program. Throughout the entirety of my 6 weeks with HYRS, I had the amazing privilege to spend time and become friends with 20 extremely talented fellow HYRS peers. Together we enjoyed weekly activities ranging from Gross Anatomy Lab and MRI tours to games of laser tag and cross-campus scavenger hunts. These activities enriched our learning experience beyond our lab work, and allowed time for simple enjoyment and fun activities to co-exist with the rigorous learning processes.
As high school students, we often enter grade 12 without the slightest idea as to what a certain major or career path will hold for us. HYRS is one of those rare opportunities where we were actually exposed to the exact nature of a certain career path; a truly one-of-a-kind program that offers deep insight into the health sciences. So what are you waiting for? It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been devoted to bio-research your whole life, or you’ve only started biology and think you might be interested, HYRS is a program open to anyone who demonstrates scientific curiosity, and will provide an experience that is amazing in every aspect!
P.S. The program also provides a stipend of $2000 dollars for all participants. That’s like getting paid for learning new things and having the time of your life!
