L-R: Johanna Redmond, Maryam Al-Musawi. Photo courtesy Everything GP Staff

By Erika Rolling

Outstanding Achievement

Two Grande Prairie Composite students accepted into University of Alberta summer research programs

Jun 29, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Highly competitive research programs for Grade 11 students through the University of Alberta have accepted two girls from the Grande Prairie Composite High School to go to Edmonton for half the summer break to learn in their desired fields.

Johanna Redmond and Maryam Al-Musawi were accepted and are both enrolled in the International Baccalaureate education program. The two girls will be staying at U of A campus dorms and bunking together to share the experience.

The programs – High School Youth Research Summer Program and Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology Summer Research Program, are both six weeks long starting the first week of July.

HYRS Program

Johanna Redmond has been accepted into the HYRS program for the 2023 summer. Only 20-25 students from across northern Alberta get into the paid research program each summer. Research experiences range in health and medical sciences, gaining hands-on experience in laboratories alongside professionals in their respective fields.

Redmond needed a combined average of 85% in Math 20-1 or 20-2, Biology 20, and one other Grade 11 science course to be eligible to apply, as well as write a personal essay describing why she wanted to participate in the program and more.

She first heard about the limited-time opportunity through a neighbour that participated in a similar U of A summer research program, and it sparked her interest.

“I wanted something fun to do in the summer instead of sitting and wasting it away.”

She plans on going into medical school or dentistry once she completes her high school education.

“We will be collecting DNA, sampling it and researching what kind of bacteria grows in the mouth when one doesn’t brush their teeth,” says Redmond.

She says getting to work in a lab and seeing how work is done in the medical and dentistry field will give her some leverage and insight into picking what path to take in post-secondary studies.

WISEST SRP Program

Maryam Al-Musawi was accepted into the Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology Summer Research Program after hearing about it from Redmond and her Spanish teacher at the Comp.

Al-Musawi was compelled to apply after hearing the successes of other like-minded women that had previously been accepted into the prestigious program and felt more confident and pursued careers afterward.

“I picked biochemistry in the Medicine and Dentistry Faculty. We are researching biotic-resistant diseases. It’s going to be a lot of fun and very interesting.”

She says she will mainly be in the lab to help with the research team by taking samples, testing, and at the end of the six-week program present a research paper to other scientists.

Getting a biochemistry bachelor’s degree is Al-Musawi’s desired pathway before pursuing a medical degree.

“The experience with professors and learning how to do research in a lab and conducting that all on my own is going to be something that will be helpful… especially in the International Baccalaureate program by doing extended essays and internal assessments that are based on labs, a lot being independent. It’ll give me a lot of insight.”

She says she’s excited to spend the summer down in the big city and stay on campus, getting a head start on what post-secondary will look like.