Laura’s story
As we plan ahead to GTL in Wales 2023 and beyond, we recently caught up with Laura Schmidt-Hong, an instructor from the GTL in Wales 2022 cohort, to talk about her experiences through the initiative. Keep reading to learn more from our thought-provoking discussion!
Tell us a little about yourself and your journey in education so far!
I’m originally from Iowa, but I’ve lived in the Boston area since I was in middle school! I’m now a rising senior at MIT majoring in biological engineering with a minor in brain and cognitive sciences. Through my education so far, I’ve conducted research within the fields of immunology and neuroscience. Some of this research experience comes from my position as an Undergraduate Researcher at the Koch Institute for Cancer Research as well as through my Undergraduate Researcher position at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. I’m planning to attend graduate school after completing my studies at MIT. Outside of classes and the lab, I’m on MIT’s student-run newspaper committee as well as the leadership team of my sorority on campus.
How do you fit into the nexus of the GTL programme?
As an instructor for GTL Wales in 2022, I prepare and lead lessons on topics related to biology, chemistry, psychology, and computer science. These have included sessions on brain scans, Python, organic chemistry, and CRISPR. Furthermore, I’ve been matched with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, a Further Education college in North Wales, and have been delivering live virtual sessions to learners in the College. Both independently and in collaboration with other instructors, I’ve been preparing asynchronous projects and workshops for use by learners across schools partnered with GTL Wales.
Are there any sessions that have particularly stood out for you as an instructor?
My favourite session was on the different techniques that are used for brain scans. I delivered this session synchronously to psychology learners at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and enjoyed the process of preparing the lesson and interactive activities thoughtfully. I was also grateful to have the opportunity to interact live with learners and to see them understand the mechanisms of and distinctions between different technologies which are relevant to their subject!
How have you managed the combination of online and in-person teaching?
At this point, I – and I think most other students – are happy to have largely returned to in-person learning. So many layers of learning and teaching can’t be replicated when done virtually: it’s harder to gauge levels of understanding in a classroom and to connect on a more personal level with your peers. Further, as a student on the receiving end of virtual teaching during the pandemic, I already understood the challenges of learning content in an online format, but participating in GTL Wales allowed me to navigate and to try to make the most of virtual teaching from the other side of the equation. On the whole, I think the silver lining of those challenges is that we’ve transitioned back to in-person learning, the insights we’ve gained about how to make lessons more captivating, and the fact that connecting with students in a virtual setting can make in-person lessons more engaging and impactful.
Do you have any advice for students looking to apply for degrees in your subject-areas?
Above all, explore different areas within your field(s) of interest! Much of the figuring out what you like or don’t like, or have a knack for or don’t, happens when you try out classes, research, and various activities to see what sticks and what doesn’t. This is especially true for students interested in pursuing a degree within the STEM disciplines – you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of other fields (such as humanities and social sciences) since the skills developed in those academic tracks are critical and are, in fact, transferrable to your primary subjects of interest.
