To say that third-year Biomedical Science and Indigenous Studies student, Tonya-Leah Watts, is a hard worker would be an understatement. Although only halfway through her undergraduate degree, Ms. Watts returned to the Hospital for Sick Children this summer for her second-year in the SickKids Summer Research (SSuRe) Program.

The prestigious 16-week paid internship gives undergraduate students the opportunity to get hands-on experience working on medical or clinical research in a lab at the Hospital for Sick Children. Ms. Watts’ project investigates the role of an autism and schizophrenia-associated gene in early brain development.

Although an opportunity of this magnitude may seem daunting, Ms. Watts says her Trent experience has helped prepare her for research that makes a difference.

“The Biomedical Science program has been instrumental in providing me with tools and connections that will help me with my goal of one-day studying medicine,” explained Ms. Watts. “Through pairing it with a minor in Indigenous Studies, I have become more aware of the world around me through different perspectives, and by seeing various issues with such a holistic approach, I am driven not only to help my people heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but also to advocate for stronger relationships between Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.”

As the fall quickly approaches, Ms. Watts is busy putting the final touches on her research project and preparing to take the Medical Colleges Admissions Test (MCAT) before she returns to Trent this September. For students interested in undergraduate research, Ms. Watts says that Trent is their best choice.

“Trent University has an immense support system, and has shown countless times that people are here to work with you and want you to succeed. In my opinion, networking has been the key to the majority of the opportunities that I have been given, and with a relatively small community such as Trent University, there is so much more opportunity to make those meaningful connections that may later change the course of your life for the better.”