• OUTREACH
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• HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

Then, in March 2008, when I was a freshman in high school, my father brought me back to meet Dr. William Duax, a scientist who had recently started an internship program for high school students.

Nothing could have prepared me for my meeting with Dr. Duax, a jovial man with a penchant for classical music who enjoys chicken wings, but makes a fine shrimp mousse. Intimidated but intrigued, I listened as Dr. Duax introduced me to the Short Chain OxidoReductase (SCOR) enzymes. The influx of information was overwhelming, but I threw myself into the work wholeheartedly. However, I can’t say I always understood what I was doing!

Dr. Duax is a quick-witted man who thoroughly enjoys being a mentor to young students. He showed me what it means to be passionate about my work, and he helped to shape who I am as a person. He taught me that, while success is important, I cannot achieve it alone. Independence can only get one so far. Contributing to a group—collaborating with my peers—is a skill that is difficult to achieve, but is invaluable. He taught me that leadership entails guidance, not control. And in the end, sometimes all you can do is sit back and watch while the ideas you have implanted start to grow.

Most of all, I admire Dr. Duax for the courage to pursue his ideas, even in the face of indifference or opposition from other scientists. His work in ribosomal proteins is controversial and novel. But I believe in him, just as he believes in me.

Four years later, I am a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, and there has never been a moment when I have appreciated the experiences I had at the Hauptman-Woodward Institute more than I do now. To HWI, thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow intellectually. To Dr. Duax, thank you for inspiring my interest in science and opening the door to the possibilities of a rewarding career.

Isabel Xu
University of Pennsylvania '15