Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96432
my PASSION Zari Dumanian '12 I have a passion for the scientific method. It was sparked by my discovery of chemistry in Honors Chem my sophomore year at Latin. The beauty of the material and the engaging manner with which it was taught enchanted me. Studying chemistry is like watching nature at work. It makes intuitive sense to me, but there's more. Balancing oxidation-reduction reactions and calculating rates of reactions is fun. The laws of thermodynamics are elegant. Everything I learned in my science classes at Latin has inspired me in the lab work that I have been doing during the summers and has led me to pursue a Capstone project focused on the scientific method my senior year. I started working in the Plastic Surgery lab at Northwestern University the summer after sophomore year. After junior year, I returned to research wound healing. My idea to use bacteriophage (viruses) to help infected wounds heal was tested in the wound-healing laboratory at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and culminated in a formal study using the laboratory's well-established rabbit ear wound model. Our research for the first time was able to show that infected wounds free of biofilm experience statistically significant faster healing with the application of bacteriophage. This was groundbreaking, and the work was recently submitted and accepted as a poster at the prestigious American Association of Plastic Surgeons meeting. My current work at the same lab, which is the focus of my Capstone project, involves the development and testing of a radical new suture design for hernia repairs in rats. Preliminary results have been so promising that we already have a provisional patent for the new suture and are currently proceeding to the manufacturing phase, which will allow testing in larger animals and eventual marketing and sales. I have always felt that my unique interests, skill set and quirky personality have been validated at Latin. My science teachers and my advisor in particular encouraged me to pursue my interests in the lab. Their unwavering faith and support have been key to what I have been able to achieve as a student and as a researcher. program allows our students to deepen and enrich those relationships with their teachers while also giving them a more sophisticated understanding of their topic." High Expectations Graf 's goal in recent years has been to ensure the quality of independent studies across the board by formalizing aspects of the program. The application process has become more rigorous. In their proposal, students are required to outline the methodology and content of their course, describe their desired result and show that the course would not duplicate a class that is already being offered at Latin. Because independent studies are considered one of their five or six core courses, students also must now set aside specific class time in their schedule to meet with their teacher. Each proposal is vetted by a cross-disciplinary committee to ensure that the course is in line with the school's educational mission and attains the level of academic rigor of regular classes. "We have high expectations of our students, and I think we have been able to provide them with a deeper, more purposeful experience "Do you have an interest? Do you have a passion? Do you have a curiosity? And, can you see it through with an adult mentor?" – Ted Graf Latin School of Chicago 23