Jacob Caponi was in the IA Scholars program as an undergraduate, and is now completing graduate school at the University of Michigan. Jacob’s presentation really intrigued me because during my first year, I was a neuroscience major as well. His experience with the major was also similar to mine. I felt overwhelmed with the amount of research they were trying to get us interested in, so by taking a step back like Jacob did and finding something he was passionate about is admirable. Like Jacob, I want to find something that I am passionate about for my research instead of just being in a lab to be in a lab for my resume. Broadening your skills on topics that you find fascinating is so much fun and enjoyable and in the end, like Jacob said, you get much more out of your research and many new perspectives.

His research about the reintegration of Rwandan criminals convicted of genocide sounds very interesting, especially his focus on the integration of women who were involved with genocide because they are often overlooked when it comes to heinous crimes. His dedication to this research project is very inspiring and encouraging, and it makes me want to find a research project this year to work on. I am not sure if pursuing a PHD is something I want to accomplish down the road, but I wholeheartedly am interested in broadening my knowledge and skills with a research project. Also, if I get accepted into the Nursing program, I want to hopefully participate in the honors research distinction where I would work with a faculty mentor, much like Jacob, on a project of my choosing. Because of this, I really enjoyed hearing everything that Jacob had to say and his advice about how to best get into a lab and become comfortable around your superiors. Research can be demanding and intimidating, but it is very rewarding, and I really appreciated being able to hear about how research has impacted a fellow IA scholar’s life and future.