An Internship to Remember

No amount of TED talks or PubMed articles could have readied me for my unforgettable hands-on adventure in cardiovascular research this summer. Working alongside PhD’s and graduate and undergraduate students, I gained newfound insights into the lab environment and, most importantly, into leading investigations in aortic and mitral valve disease (e.g. stenosis, regurgitation) and aortic aneurysm. 

Claudia spent an intense four weeks working alongside PhD's, undergraduates, and graduate students at Penn.

For four weeks in July, I observed and assisted in a series of studies run out of Dr. Giovanni Ferrari’s lab at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I learned both standard and specialized lab methodologies, like how to isolate cells from human valve tissue, how to run a vertical gel and then a western blot, how to use a qPCR machine, how to load a bioreactor with human or mouse valve segments for stimulation, how to culture and harvest both aortic interstitial and aortic endothelial cells, and how to use different software, databases, and instruments. Eric, the Research Specialist, showed us videos of surgeries, and then, hours later, would bring us a human valve or human blood in a biohazard bag! Dr. Ferrari, the PhD’s, Dr. Emanuela Branchetti and Dr. Kathryn Driesbaugh, and the other students walked me through their overall research aims and earlier findings, such as their research on substances that induce osteogenic transdifferentiation in valve tissue. It was one big, challenging cause and effect lesson!



This work in Dr. Ferrari’s lab gave me context for the courses I’ve taken at GA and allowed me to see his team’s advanced biological examinations as an extension of what I’ve studied in school. All in all, it made me even more eager to conduct my own research in college and beyond!

After an exciting and engaging month, the internship ended with a bang. The office bought me treats from Federal Donuts, and I left feeling impassioned, with not just a stronger knowledge of cardiovascular research but also with a truly solidified interest in the sciences.

~ Claudia M. ‘15

Summer at Oxford Prepares GA Student for Senior Year

This summer, I applied to study abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England. At first, it seemed really out of my comfort zone, but as I adjusted, it turned into one of the best summers of my life. Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I had two hours of classes. The first hour was psychology and the second was creative writing. Both were amazing classes, but psychology was my favorite. Each day, we discussed a new element in the subject matter. Every Wednesday, we went to London to explore different museums, neighborhoods, and find our own way.

Caroline steps out of an iconic UK telephone box during her time in Oxford.

The director of the program really wanted every student to not only spend time with others but also to roam around on their own in Oxford. We had a lot of time to go around and explore the town, try new restaurants, and do different activities around town. One day, a group of friends and I went punting which was surprisingly hard. We also saw Christ’s Church, which is where part of Harry Potter was filmed. The program planned Saturday excursions along with half-day excursions. Over the course of the program, we went to Blenheim Palace, Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Stratford, and Avon. The program also had planned dinners such as an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party and a Harry Potter themed dinner. Both were amazing. This program really stretched my mind and allowed me to explore the town. It was one of the best summers and I would not be as prepared for my senior year as I am now if I hadn’t gone on this adventure.

~ Caroline A. ‘15

Back to School

In a tradition more than 250 years old, Germantown Academy will begin another school year early next week. With Opening Day for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools fast approaching, there is much to look forward to in order to add to the heritage of GA. From the Flag Raising Ceremony to the welcoming and orientation of new students and faculty, the start of school is always an exciting time in Fort Washington.

Before they return to campus, however, our students often travel far and wide over the course of the summer. They explore colleges, gain real world experience through internships, pursue their athletic dreams, and find fun and creative ways to relax while enjoying the summer. Through PatChat, we will provide you a sampling into some of our students' summer experiences. As we fully resume the academic year, continue to check back with PatChat to hear the voices of our students as they navigate their way through 2014-2015.

Welcome back, Patriots!

Finally a Senior

Senior Year: The Final Installment

I like to believe that senior year, like any good teenage book series, is the compelling final installment of the 12 years I have spent at GA.   In this particular case, senior year will be filled with exclusive experiences including Senior Step at the Pep Rally, Senior Strut, Prom, and senior projects.  Though the previous volumes of my story at GA have been filled with events that have encouraged me to grow and expand as a student and member of society, I definitely believe that senior year will be the most adventure-packed and fun-filled.  I must say, what I am most looking forward to as a senior will be my senior project trip to China.  As a student of Chinese, I have fallen in love with both the language and culture and have been looking forward to this opportunity since I was in the eighth grade.  China, the much anticipated climax of my story, will be the perfect bookend to my time at GA.  With the conclusion of my senior year, I will have the knowledge and experience to enter the college of my choice; finishing one series and ready to start another.

~ Nichelle H. ‘15

Nichelle and three classmates ended their junior year on quite a high note,
earning the McNeil Patriot Scholarship Award at Prize Day.

 

City Championships in the Coxswain Seat

Nichelle preparing to row a race. . .

As I jumped into the boat during the early Sunday morning of City Championships and we pushed off the dock, I tried to forget that I would only be coxing my second race.  Midway through the season, I had decided that I would transition from rowing to coxing; feeling as though I needed a change of pace.  If you are not a fan of rowing, a coxswain is the person in the front (or back) of the boat that steers and makes calls based upon what is happening during the race.  As a rower, I had the opportunity to push myself past my limits, pull so hard that I would lose my breath, and scream my heart out when I wanted to win.  I chose to transition from rowing to cox because it had finally caught up to me that I was the smallest girl on the team.  Though I still consider myself a relatively competitive rower, I thought that my size would be more beneficial somewhere else in the boat.
 

. . . and nervously preparing to cox one.

In my very first race, I didn’t have a single clue what I was doing.  I called the start late, I steered out to starboard so far that the coxswain in the boat next to me had to wave her hand around so that I wouldn’t crash into her, and I kept rowing way past the finish line because I wasn’t totally sure where it was.  But when we finally finished, my boat had done a great job, and we had proven ourselves as a team.  Between their post-race breaths, the rowers in the boat complimented me, telling me that I had done a great job and thanking me for all my hard work.  I couldn’t believe it.  If anything, I should be thanking them for a nice ride down the river and for exerting themselves so extremely that their voices turned into raspy growls.  Right then, I realized that I was as much motivation to them as they were to me; and from then on, we worked as a unit to be the best that we could.

In the time leading up to City Champs, there was a lot of stress.  In the two and a half weeks between the races, there had been a horrible flood which shut down the boathouse for several days.  Everyone was worrying about limited practice we had before the biggest race of the season.  When we all met at the river the day of City Champs,  the four rowers of my boat and I met to talk about how much this race meant to all of us.  We were nervous, but we were one unit; knowing that the mental preparation was as important as the physical.  As we approached the starting line of the qualifying round, I made the call to start.  The rest of the race was a blur, but only one thing mattered when we finished: we made it!

 

~ Nichelle H. '15

Members of GA's crew team pose post-race.

 

Girls' Lacrosse Season Winds Down

Lacrosse action this spring at Sisters' Woods.

The girls’ lacrosse season is down to its last week of games. Though I was on JV and we've won only 3 games so far, it was still a fun time playing with my team. I'm happy to have met some new friends through lacrosse. Practices are hard, though we still find time to have fun. We run every practice, which is good considering the large amount you run in games. It's nice to cheer on teammates who have never played before or see them, along with yourself, improve throughout the season. Watching Varsity play makes you want to do better yourself. As the season ends, it's sad not only because it means we won't play anymore but also because it means the school year is almost done. I'm glad to have played alongside these girls and have as much fun as we've had.

-Sarina S. ‘17

Washington, DC Comes To Fort Washington

Senator Bob Casey spent a day talking with GA students.

            On April 17th, GA had the pleasure of hosting very well known Pennsylvania Senator, Bob Casey. Due to the busy life of a politician, he was only able to speak to the juniors for about thirty minutes. But in this time, Senator Casey was able to answer some very controversial and interesting questions from the Class of 2015.

            The assembly started with a question pertaining to the Affordable Care Act, which Senator Casey said he supports and also helped to create. Then questions switched to the topic of gun control. Senator Casey stated that he believes we do need better gun control, but that it will be very hard to implement since there are such strong opinions on both sides. While both of these questions were interesting to hear the answers to, my favorite question was the one regarding the legalization of gay marriage.

            To me, the fact that gay marriage is not legal yet is downright absurd, and while I know that many people do not feel the same way, I did expect Senator Casey to agree with me. But when he started to answer, I was surprised. Casey explained that initially, he was totally against gay marriage. He didn’t think it was a law that should be passed. But then he went on to explain that as he spent more time hearing the many reasons it should be passed, he slowly changed his mind because he realized that it’s the right thing to do. Now he considers himself an avid supporter of the legalization of gay marriage and is going to continue the fight to push it through.

            While a lot of the students who listened to Senator Casey talk did not agree with many of the things he said, I think that it was a great experience for everyone to meet such a high profile figure who has such influence when it comes to law making. Personally, I found the assembly quite interesting and I hope that GA continues to bring in more people like Senator Casey.

-Gideon S. '15

GA Patriots from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools heard from and asked questions of the Senator.