Nurturing interest & igniting passion through real world hands-on research

Through this project, I learned that school doesn't have to be boring. I can learn what I want to and explore what interests me. I wish all classes were like this because it makes me want to work hard, and the class isn't as stressful as the other ones because I have interest in what I'm doing.

Working on an AAR project has helped me build confidence in myself. I learned that I have the tools available to create original research and make the necessary adjustments along the way. Compiling the work of the year into a final poster was rewarding; for me, it represented a lot of consistent work paying off.

At the beginning of the school year, I had no clue what I wanted to research through AAR, or what I wanted to gain from the program. Looking back, my research project has propelled me into a related major at college, and interested me in participating in research past high school. I've learned valuable skills about working with others, meeting deadlines as a team, and thinking on my feet. I feel so lucky to have experienced these things that most people won't get until later in life, and am grateful for this invaluable takeaway that I didn't even know I wanted at the beginning of the year.

Although our research ended up in a different place than we expected, our final product was a great accomplishment. With the help of our teacher and our mentor, my partner and I were able to talk through the obstacles we encountered, and I learned about the process of researching, forming a conclusion, and writing a research paper. Research requires much revision but is ultimately very fulfilling.

After seven months of research, brainstorming, and planning, I had reached the point in my research where I thouight the issue I was dealing with was simply too deep-rooted for me to challenge. However, I knew that this mindset was what kept others from fighting this issue. Eventually, I designed an experiment and was amazed to see that it worked. Looking back, I am reminded that the most challenging issues are the ones you should never give up on.

I am so pleased to be involved with a young person studying and bringing greater awareness to a big social problem facing our country that I firmly believe can be solved in the lifetimes of the next generation of Americans! I'm also very impressed at the level of rigor of this project. I've very much enjoyed working with my student so far and feel good about her progress and ability to accomplish the goals of the project. 

I love the energy these students bring. It's amazing to see motivated students talk about their passions and share their ideas.

I joined AAR because I was interested in independent STEM-focused research, and exited the program knowing that research is much more than just one field, and requires much more than just one person. It's interdisciplinary, and a team effort more than anything else, and has opened my eyes to the worlds of self-motivation, branching out and never ceasing to question everything.

My work this year has had meaning for me because I researched a topic that I am passionate about and is very applicable to today's society. By further analyzing this societal problem, I was able to understand the origins of the issue and grow more immersed in the topic.