Mia’s Story

Mia’s Story

If someone told me one month ago that two weeks could change my life so significantly, I would not believe them. Receiving a scholarship to attend the 65th London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) has become a highlight of not only my summer, but my life, and it will never be forgotten. My name is Mia Nembhard, and I attended this forum to represent my country, Jamaica, along with four other schoolmates attending Campion College.

Initially, I was extremely anxious to attend the forum, as I had never been in an international environment before, and I had never been to Europe before. However, I was also excited to utilise such a remarkable opportunity to learn new things and grow as a person. These mixed emotions eventually settled when my schoolmates and I did our first trek to the Copthorne Tara Hotel to attend the first dinner of the Forum, where I began to meet several people from varying countries, such as Italy, Germany and New Zealand. I realised how much I had in common with them, and it improved my confidence to branch out and speak to more people. I spent the next two weeks befriending more people from over eight countries. We spent a lot of our free time sitting in the park, going shopping, going out for food or simply going on a walk. I value all the friendships I made, and I do my best to stay in contact with all of them because of how much I treasure the memories we made together. Without this experience, my confidence would not have grown so much.

Similarly, I experienced emotional growth, as well as an increase in maturity because of this experience. Although I travelled to London to attend the forum with a chaperone, I was responsible for myself. This meant it was my job to wake up in the mornings attend breakfast, and attend my lectures on time. It was also my job to know when to do my own laundry, and to purchase my own food/drinks/snacks outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was almost similar to college, yet more monitored, which was a great experience for me. It made me much more independent and had a very positive impact on my personal growth.

Overlooking the social aspects, the London International Youth Science Forum was also a wonderful educational experience. All the lectures were extremely informative and fascinating. One of the lectures that stood out to me was about the genetic diversity present in Africa, and the lack of clinical trials conducted in Africa. This diversity results in negative reactions to medications that were not tested in Africa during pre-clinical trials. Another lecture that stood out to me was a presentation on A.I. robots. The lecturers brought a robot that could act like a dog by jumping and stretching. It was fascinating to see A.I. robots in action instead of only seeing them online. With one or two lectures per day, I was always learning new information that interests me to this day.   

Other than lectures, we also had several visits that took us outside of the city of London. We visited specific university departments depending on our interests, and these were chosen before our arrival. One visit that stood out to me was to the anatomy department at the University of Bristol. At the largest anatomy department in the United Kingdom, I was exposed to animal and human cadavers. I was allowed to touch them and asked the professors present several questions. Another visit that stood out to me was a visit to the Cambridge MRC Cognition Unit. At this visit, we learned about dementia and the different forms it can be presented in. I was very grateful to attend this forum and attend these visits because they confirmed my interest in biology, specifically medicine.

 Also, there were optional visits that took us to various tourist destinations in London. There were visits to the London Eye, Lion King: The Musical, and a Bus Tour. These visits were extremely unforgettable and allowed me to get closer to the other attendees of LIYSF. We spent the majority of the time appreciating the beautiful views, taking pictures and adjusting to the busy nature of the public transport. 

Lastly, although I made great friendships with the other attendees of LIYSF, I also developed friendships with some of the counsellors. They worked extremely hard every day to keep everything organised, and to supervise us. They were very kind and welcoming, and had some inspirational advice to give since they were anxious high school students just like us not too long ago. They also reassured a lot of us who were struggling to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives and reminded us that our feelings were normal. They are individuals that I look up to, and strive to work as hard as them after the experience.

I am eternally grateful to LIYSF for granting me the opportunity to have such an unforgettable experience in a foreign country. After spending some time reflecting on my experiences and my friendships, I am so happy I attended this forum. If I could go back in time, I would not change anything because I would never trade this experience for anything else in the world.