Welcome to my October Newsletter! It's great to have you here again, if we haven’t met yet, read my very first September Newsletter! I'm Elif, a 17-year-old girl with a strong passion for science, and I've been pushing my limits lately. So, let's dive into the latest updates about my life!
Recently in my Exchange Year
I've completed my second month as an exchange student in Latvia. During this time, I've learned a lot. Sometimes, I still think that moving to a different country at the age of 17 was a bit crazy, but I'm so glad I did it. I feel more independent and confident about my life than ever before. I used to be someone who was never alone and never had significant responsibilities, and now life is completely different.
Here are some activities of mine;
Halloween Party
At our AFS office, we have language lessons every other week. This time, we organized a Halloween party, and I dressed up as a bunny! In my home country, Turkey, we don't celebrate Halloween, so this was a completely new and enjoyable experience.
Birthday parties
Many of my friends celebrated their birthdays this month, and we had a great time together. We went to play laser tag, which was the first time I played it since middle school. Surprisingly, I even managed to secure the second place, from the last! 😭 At another party , we visited a charming restaurant and savored delicious food. I'm going to miss those Halloween cocktails!
Baking, Dancing and Traveling
I'm determined to make the most of my exchange year, constantly making plans to explore this beautiful country. My friend and I have already visited some cities, and I'm still not used to seeing snow in October at all! Additionally, my friends stayed over at my place, and we had a blast with our slumber parties. We pampered ourselves with skincare, baked an apple pie, had a movie night, and even enjoyed a morning ballet session. I'm grateful for the time I've spent with both myself and my friends this month.
I'm continuing with my dance and ballet classes, and it's been such a nice and enjoyable experience. I'm also thrilled to incorporate workouts into my routine. When I return to Istanbul, I'll definitely continue dancing!
This marks the end of another month in my exchange year, and with only 8 months left, I'm starting to feel a bit sad about it. Nevertheless, I'm determined to make the most of every remaining moment.
The Knowledge Society (TKS)
I find it hard to put into words the impact that TKS has had on me. These past two months have been the most transformative of my life. Every Sunday, we invest three hours in learning about mindsets, the latest technologies, and innovations. The program is incredibly intense, requiring a high level of intentionality about what you want to achieve. My initial focus was on gene editing, but thanks to TKS, I've expanded my knowledge far beyond that. Through the explore modules on TKS.life, we delve into various topics each week, including brain-computer interfaces, software development, and AI.
What's more, I've had the privilege of meeting incredible people from all around the world, forming friendships that I believe will endure for a long time. I am immensely grateful for everything TKS has offered.
My First Hackathon
One of the most rewarding aspects of TKS is the challenges it presents. In our first hackathon, our task was to develop a solution using existing technology to address a problem. My team and I chose to work with Crispr gene editing technology, and we focused on the field of agriculture. Our objective was to create a gene-editing system for wheat, making it gluten-free. This innovation would significantly ease the lives of people with gluten sensitivity, enabling them to enjoy foods like bread, delicious croissants, and more.
My team and I were honored to receive the Ted Talk Award, and we are incredibly grateful for it. Although we didn't make it to the finals, we are taking it in stride and are determined to improve for next time.My team and I were honored to receive the Ted Talk Award, and we are incredibly grateful for it. Although we didn't make it to the finals, we are taking it in stride and are determined to improve for next time!
Replicate Project
This month, we initiated our replicate projects, which are an integral part of our Focus process. Having already completed my replicate project for my scholarship (you can click here to see it), I had a one-on-one session with my coordinator, Pranav. After careful consideration, we decided to proceed with a company mind map. I've selected Sangamo Therapeutics, a company specializing in Zinc finger proteins and cell therapy, a field that I'm particularly curious about.
I'm currently reaching out to scientists who work at Sangamo to seek answers to my questions. By November 30, I will have completed my mind map, allowing me to acquire in-depth knowledge about Sangamo Therapeutics and its operational processes. Additionally, I'm looking forward to developing a profound understanding of Zinc Finger Proteins (ZFs).
Action Items for Next Month
Next month, I aim to enhance my productivity, and here is my plan;
New plans and team members for The Article Lab project
Finish my Replicate Project about Sangamo Therapeutics
Start my Rise Global Challenge application
Don't forget to subscribe and give it a thumbs up! See you next month, and stay tuned!
This is an incredible newsletter Lif!
Wonderful newsletter!