My name is Sarah Lewis, and I am a first-generation junior Environmental Science major. Eight months ago, I applied for the Cadiz International Research Program. Six months ago, I was interviewed as a potential participant in the program. Five months ago, I was accepted into the Cadiz international program. Three months ago, I had no real-world experience in my field, I had little connection with professionals in Environmental Science, and I had never participated in research prior. Three months ago, I was a person struggling to recover from an exhausting spring semester to the point where I did not understand why my major was important, or why I decided to go down the path that I had paved. Three months ago, I had left for Spain, and began my time with the Cadiz International Research Program.
To be a researcher is to be someone who connects things. Research is not a simple creature—you do not look for an answer to a single question asked; you pick up fragmented pieces of what it means to exist in the world, and you put them together. Research is not static. Research asks us to be aligned with all possibilities of knowledge despite their tendency to not make sense, to not sit right in the gut. Research demands responsibility and commitment to community. To be a researcher is to be someone who understands what it means to live on this earth and who understands that the work you are fighting for is for the people around you. To be a researcher is to be a learner, a lover, a teacher, and an advocate for a better world.
Studying at the University of Cadiz for the summer has thoroughly changed the trajectory of my undergraduate career. Throughout my time at UTC, I have struggled to forge meaningful connections with my professors and my peers, be it for lack of time or lack of luck. However, because of my opportunity to work with a wonderful group of staff at UCA, I was able to create relationships with the students and faculty in my lab and in my program, and that feeling is overwhelmingly good. At UCA, I was able to learn things that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to do so. I remembered why my major is important, and why it means so much to me. I became more diligent, concentrated, and equipped for this upcoming fall semester, personally, professionally, and academically.
The Cadiz International Research Program has introduced me to so many different opportunities despite the conclusion of the program being less than two weeks ago. It has sparked my interest in the Fulbright scholarship, geared towards research abroad, as I have made connections with the University of Cadiz, a great potential location to carry out my potential scholarship in addition to completing my Master’s degree. Completing the program has made me very sure that I want to pursue graduate school—prior to the program, I was very hesitant because of lack of faith in myself, the cost, and the time commitment, but now I know with certainty that graduate school is something that I very much want to pursue.
Participation in the Cadiz International Research Program gave me the skills of patience and perseverance. I am not typically a patient person—If I have a question, I want to know how to solve it immediately. However, research taught me that patience is an essential skill, especially in research that is so strenuous, time consuming, and intellectually challenging to the point that every question in the subject has not been answered. Being patient is as important as being smart. The program has made me more perseverant. Throughout my research, there were several times where I could not figure out what I was doing wrong in my experiment or data analysis, but instead of scrapping the ideas I had or not following through on what I already started, I persevered and fought hard to work through what it was I struggled with.
I cannot compose into words all of the benefits of the Cadiz International Research Program—it is an impossible task, so I will list a few. I forged connections with world-renowned experts in my field; I acquired laboratory skills and resources; I created friendships with participants of the program and students from around the world; I immersed myself in the beautiful, rich culture of Spain; I traveled to amazing places in Europe; I experienced things that I never would have thought to be possible; I learned so much about myself, about Spain, about microplastics, about the world. I had a very beautiful experience. As a student with no previous research experience, it was an amazing opportunity to get my feet underneath me.
My name is Sarah Lewis, and I am a first-generation junior Environmental Science student. In eight days, I will begin my third fall semester at UTC with real world experience in my field, and a small amount of research underneath my belt. In eight days, I will begin my third fall semester knowing that I am capable of doing difficult things and of making myself and my family proud. In eight days, I will begin my third fall semester with a deep understanding of why Environmental Science is important and the love that I have for it. I have returned from Spain and ended my time with the Cadiz International Research Program changed and loved and learned and grateful!
Sarah Lewis (BS Environmental Science) participated in the Summer 2023 international summer learning opportunity for students offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors. The International Summer Undergraduate Research Program represents a collaboration between The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Cadiz in Spain. The purpose of the initiative is to support students to participate in an eight (8) week intensive research experience during the summer in a global environment. Sarah had the following to say about studying abroad, “Being given the chance to study abroad, with a focus on intensive research and immersion into the culture, was an opportunity that I will be grateful for for the rest of my life. I grew so much into myself as a person and as a student, and had so many amazing experiences with new people and new things.”
Share this post:
Thanks for sharing your post-research experience reflection, Sarah! It’s wonderful to hear about the transformative impact the Cadiz International Research Program had on you. Wishing you all the best as you continue to pursue your passion for Environmental Science!