Update #3

Wow. As I'm writing this final blog post it's crazy to think how amazing of a year it's been in this class. I have changed A LOT since I first walked in the door at the beginning of my senior year. I've grown a lot as a person, and as a researcher, where I've learned how to come up with a good research question, conduct research, and present my findings in a way that people can understand. 

CONTENT: I'm going to start by reflecting on my topic that I researched and how it went. As I delved into the topic of running shoes, I found myself fascinated by the relationship between footwear technology and elite running performance. There were a couple other routes that I could have went in my research, but I am SO glad that I went with this one. It was super seamless researching something I had a passion in and I found myself not getting burnt out of my project because there were always new things to look at. I actually had a pretty good time doing the extensive literature review that we had to do first semester because it was something that didn't feel like a chore. Then data analysis wasn't too bad either. However, it became pretty tedious by the end. I watched 36 total races, which was a pretty big time commitment, but I got through it and it wasn't too bad. I stayed organized with my data in my google sheet, then I had to learn how to analyze it and make graphs about it. 

PRODUCT: I have never written such a detailed (and LONG) paper until this class. My paper ended up being 24 pages long, which I never thought I could have done. Now, for the final presentation. I typically don't consider myself the best public speaker in the world. But, I put in a lot of work into this presentation over the weeks before and I think it turned out well. I was proud of my explanation of how I collected my data, and then I think my graphs that I included were good also. I handled the questions pretty well too, but I wish I would have practiced them a little more because it felt like I was rambling a bit. Other than that, I got some great feedback and it was a big relief to get that done with. I am going to apply everything I learned to my future in academics because I'm sure this isn't the last paper I will be writing or presentation I will be giving.

PROCESS: Throughout the research process, I discovered valuable insights not only about the topic at hand but also about myself. I learned the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges, as research often entails setbacks and obstacles that required problem solving. Another HUGE thing for me was staying on task, which I will admit I was not the best at. I had to learn how to block out my amazing (but chatty) classmates and get things done. I ended up succeeding by getting everything in by the deadline and finishing my research in a timely manner. In the end, I'm pretty happy I took this class because I feel like it really helped me academically and I have now sharpened my skill set of knowing how to do research. 

To see my abstract, paper, and presentation, check out the tab at the top titled "Paper & Presentation".

Acknowledgments:

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Dobos and Mr. McBride for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this research journey. I have loved being in their class. I was lucky enough to have McBride in two classes this schoolyear, and I have also been lucky enough to be able to see Dobos often as well in STUCO. They're both awesome teachers that genuinely care about their students and their success.  I also want to thank my amazing table mates, Mac, Libby, and Jack for making it a great school year. I always looked forward to the random conversations we got on, and the feedback they gave me. We did get off track pretty much daily, but I thank Dobos and McBride for putting up with pretending not to hear our dumb conversations and I apologize for when we played poker and chess in class. 

Looking Forward:

I will be attending Columbia University in the fall. I am super excited for the next chapter of my life in New York City. I look to continue my running journey and continue to be able to race track and cross country. I also plan to major in Philosophy and Economics on the academic side. I know it will be a great adventure and I can't wait. I am sad to say goodbye to Rock Canyon High School, but I am so grateful for my last 4 years here.