Bacterial Genomics University of Guelph, July 12, 2025
Hey readers! Sorry, I don’t know how to write a blog because (in case you didn’t figure it out already) this is my first time writing one. Furthermore, since I’ve been at the summer science program, it’s been my “first” for a lot of things. However, I probably should introduce myself so you know just who you are reading about. My name’s Nicholas Griffin, but everyone calls me Nick, and I’m 17 years old. I live in Lafayette, Colorado, go to Peak to Peak Charter School, and will be starting my senior year in the fall. When I first found out that I got into the SSP program, I was on the couch with my mom when I got an email with the subject “Congratulations!” I’d never think a student like me, one who’s never done research, hasn’t gone to any international competitions, or been a part of some ground-breaking discovery before becoming an adult, would get into a program this competitive. It was the very “first” that the SSP gave me: One that I had something to do this summer, but also that I had been allowed to do something bigger than myself, to contribute to a growing world of knowledge.
Before I could even blink, the school year was over, my two large suitcases were filled to the brim, and I was in line by the gate waiting to go on my very first international flight to Canada. Then it hit me, I was going to be a part of the first students going to the first-ever international location of SSP, and I would be learning about something I’ve wanted to do my entire life: I was going to be researching with a group of peers like myself. Fast forward a few days, and I would say that the biggest surprise I got was the people I met here. I know it may sound a little cliche, saying that “it’s the friends I made along the way,” which has been so impactful, but it’s true. Everyone here is open to the fact that they are a little nerdy in their way: I remember when I got into a heated debate with another participant about which antibiotic has the coolest mechanism of action (it’s rifampin by the way, what other antimicrobial inhibits RNA Polymerase?). Another time surprise swept me off my feet was when my group and I had a large paper that needed to be worked on. I think that it was the first time that I’ve ever had group members in a group project split up work equally, do it well, and then offer to proofread over sections to ensure nobody missed anything! Even though it was not for a grade, my group and I still did our work. Why? It is for the simple fact that we want to learn and make sure we understand everything that we have to do before we start our experiments. I’m in an environment with people who care about the things they learn about, I’m in an environment where I feel accepted, and I’m in an environment where I can geek out and talk about my favorite pharmacological classes of drugs without being judged (well except by someone who will remain nameless that says its ACE Inhibitors…).
Overall, however, I would say the one thing that makes this program extraordinary is the kindness of the individuals who join it from all over the world. When I needed help understanding what a research paper ment people explained it, when I was in my room people would knock at my door and beg me to play poker, mafia, and other games like secret hamburger, and when I opened up at my breakfast table about my struggles with mental health people listened with curiosity and acceptance, not judgment and shame. Sure, the program is letting me do research for the first time, use tools that I would never have access to, and receive education from some of the best educators that I’ve ever met, yet it pales in comparison to the truly deep and authentic connections I’ve made. I know that after my 35 days are up and I’m heading back to Colorado, I won’t be the same person that I was when I started. I’ll be thankful for the experience the program has given me, confident in my abilities academically, and hopeful that someday I will find a group of people that I’ve met here: Because SSP is the only place that you will be able to find people who make each other wake up every day with passion to learn, care for, and change the world.
