CURN Quotes: Youssef – Canadian Undergraduate Research Network

Quotes from the Student Team

Youssef Ekalduce, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, 2021

1)When first joining the CURN team and beginning any initial planning, what did that look like to you?

At first, when I joined the CURN team, I was both excited and scared. I was very excited about working with a group of intelligent, vibrant, and inspiring people. I was scared because I was very unfamiliar with the work, but after a week or two, I realized that the work we do is actually quite enjoyable and not difficult at all. The initial planning of the CURN website showed how much potential the website has. The initial planning phase has also given me the confidence to speak up and share my ideas and experiences.

2) What has the impact on your learning been from the process?

The process of creating the CURN website has been very rewarding to me. First, I learned so much about content creation and the kind of work it takes to create a website. I also learned how to work in a team, which has given me the confidence to speak up and share my ideas and what is on my mind. The skills that I have gained while working on the CURN website with the team will be very beneficial for me in my future.

3) What role has Undergraduate Research played in the journey of your degree?

Being an undergraduate researcher has shaped my undergraduate degree journey. At the beginning of my undergraduate degree, I did not have a clear vision of what I wanted to do with my degree or what career I wanted to pursue. At the beginning of my second year as an undergraduate, I joined Dr. Jenni Karl’s lab as a volunteer. After becoming a volunteer undergraduate researcher, I quickly discovered my passion for research in neuroscience. I allocated more time to my research work, which has allowed me to work on a research project under Dr. Karl’s supervision. While working with Dr. Karl, she has encouraged me to explore opportunities that I did not about, such as the Research Ambassador program with TRU’s research office. When I become a research ambassador, I discovered my passion for working with the community to help solve some of my community’s problems. Working with the TRU research office has allowed me to learn many skills that will help me in my future. Without a doubt, being an undergraduate researcher has opened so many doors for me and has allowed me to gain valuable skills and experiences.

4) What has been most meaningful to you as a student co-creator of CURN?

Being a student co-creator of the CURN website has allowed me to share my experiences from my early years as an undergraduate student and has allowed me to share what I struggled with and how I overcame those struggles. Joining research as an undergraduate student is very intimidating. Working on modules for the CURN website to ease future students’ anxieties about becoming undergraduate researchers is very meaningful and rewarding to me. Just the thought that students who explore the website that we have created may get motivated to join a research lab brings me so much joy.