The Beautiful Monster

Alyssa tapped her pen against her notepad impatiently as she waited for the research conference to begin.

She couldn't wait to hear what kind of research the various professors were working on. She wanted to get in on something pivotal and exciting.

She wanted to make a difference, and this was a good place to start.

Other students sat among the seats in the auditorium with her, chatting among themselves as they waited for the professors to show up and talk about their research projects that they were working on.

A certain number of students would be allowed to work on those projects with them after an application process.

Her eyes shifted to the side door as a few professors started to walk inside. Her heart started to race slightly. She was excited and nervous all at the same time.

These people were so smart and accomplished, and it would help her a lot to be able to learn from one of them directly.

They could give her the knowledge and resources she needed to help her get into medical school.

"Good afternoon and thank you for coming. I'm Dr. Hahn from the Biomedical Sciences department," one of the middle-aged professors said into a microphone.

His hair was short and black, and he had a stout body under his black blazer. His eyes had a soft look, but the rest of his face looked more serious.

Alyssa sat up more when she heard he was from the Biomedical Sciences department, which was her department.

She hadn't had him as a professor yet, but she suspected that he only taught the higher level courses that she had yet to reach.

She scribbled his name down in her notes before looking back up at him.

"Tonight, my colleagues and I will be sharing information about our research projects. As you know, we're all looking for new undergraduates to assist us with these projects.

At the end, they will walk you through the application process," Dr. Hahn said, his voice booming throughout the auditorium.

Alyssa heard the application process was pretty rigorous, but she wasn't swayed away. Whatever she had to do, whether it was an interview or a paper, she was going to nail it and get that research opportunity.

It would also help her when she did her own independent research project. She would've already gone through the steps with someone who was way more experienced than her.

"For the last few years, I have been working on stem cell research," Dr. Hahn started his speech. A PowerPoint played behind him.

Alyssa's eyes widened as she listened to him. He was doing exactly what she wanted to be involved with.

Stem cell research was the new hot thing in the scientific field, and it could be used to help children too. She wanted to learn more about it so that she could contribute to its development.

Maybe by the time she became a doctor, she could actually work with stem cells and save lives.

More and more new methods and technologies were being used in the medical field, and she knew that being knowledgeable about them would give her an edge above the competition.

She didn't want to be stuck in old ways. She wanted to advance.

"New treatments and methods are being developed as we speak. I want to add to that constant stream of discovery," Dr. Hahn continued.

His visions seemed to line up with Alyssa's. She really wanted him to be her research mentor. She could see herself learning so much under him, and she wanted to learn more about his project.

She hardly listened to the other research projects because as great and interesting as they were, they didn't line up as well with her goals. She knew what she wanted.

But how did she get it? She hoped that she was even qualified to apply to be a research assistant. She would have to put a lot of time and effort into her research, which was more work piled on top of her classwork.

It was a bit daunting to think about, but she had to learn how to juggle all of that work. It would get even worse in medical school. This was like a trial run.

"If you're still interested in being a research assistant for one of these research projects, there is an online form for you to fill out with questions from the professors.

Take your time. Be honest. If they feel like you're a good fit, they will contact you about an opportunity," the host of the event announced to everyone. "Thank you and have a great night."

Alyssa scribbled down the place the online form could be found at on the university website. She wasn't going to waste any time.

There were a lot of students here, and she knew that there was a lot of interest in Dr. Hahn's project.

A few students could be research assistants, but she wanted to be at the top of the pack still.

"Dr. Hahn is a genius. Did you read the paper he published about stem cells and strokes?" A student behind Alyssa asked someone else.

Alyssa needed to read his papers and get brushed up on him, especially if she chose her to be one of his research assistants.

She wanted to be caught up on what he knew and what he already researched. That way, she didn't have to waste so much time asking basic questions. She could skip right to the juicy material.

Some people lingered around to talk to the professors, but she skipped that and went straight to the library.

She was probably jumping the gun a little since the forms weren't due until two weeks from today, but she felt the inspiration to do it now, so she wasn't going to waste that feeling.

Once again, she really wished that she had a laptop so that she could sit in her dorm and brainstorm aloud. It helped her think when she heard her thoughts out loud.

She had to quietly murmur to herself in the library as she read over the form. Some of those questions required some particularly long answers. She was going to be here for at least an hour just to fill this form out.