Dear members of Marks Lab,

Hello! I hope that you have all been doing well lately.

I wanted to let you know that last weekend, I attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students's 15th Anniversary (ABRCMS) in Seattle. It was my first time on the west coast, and I had an absolutely fantastic time.

I had no idea how big this conference was. There were 2,500 undergrads and another 1,500 of professors, grad students, and administrators. I learned so much during the conference. From learning about effective interviewing skills to health disparities in the U.S. to being an empowering women in STEM, it was a very comprehensive biomedical experience. I had the opportunity to network with many undergrads, researchers, and professors across the country. I truly felt that I was treated as a high-class researcher during my time there.

I presented my research on "Role of IP3R1 receptors on Regulating Blood Pressure" as 10-minute PowerPoint presentation in the field of Physiology. I had a solid 50 people listen and ask questions about my research, and I felt extremely grateful to have the opportunity to present in front of these scientists. Among the 91 students who presented PowerPoints and posters in Physiology, I was awarded as the top presenter in Physiology and earned $250! It was a very humbling experience, and one that I will not forget. I was very proud to represent the Marks Lab in this way, and I would love to help more SPURS students attend this conference in the future.

Even though it has been months since I left the lab, I was still able to have this incredible experience because of the Marks Lab. Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity. It's actually pretty crazy how confidently I could speak up there when I recall how difficult it was to even understand the big picture of the lab when I first arrived at lab.

Thank you, members of Marks Lab, for training me as a young scientist and giving me the opportunities to pursue my dreams. It was a weekend that I know will will help my career pursuits in the future. Thank you very much! Hope to see you sometime this year!

My best, Mindy