SARSEF joined Sonora Quest Laboratories in celebrating National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 24-30) to foster awareness and engagement in the laboratory and phlebotomy industries. Sonora Quest Laboratories is an incredible partner, supporting SARSEF’s next generation of critical thinkers through our programs and offering opportunities to countless Arizona students.
On April 26, 2022, a group of our SARSEF Fair participants and STAR Lab students toured our local Sonora Quest Laboratories in Tucson and learned more about career fields in health sciences.
Read the Arizona Daily Star Article about the tour
We had the opportunity to interview the group of students to learn more about their experience.
What was your favorite part of the tour?
Sophie Roth Gordon– “My favorite part of the tour was the chemistry labs. I really didn’t think about what happened on the inside of the lab after I got my blood tests. There is so much interesting stuff that goes on to get my results! I really liked how hands-on it was and how you can involve yourself into knowing more about what’s going on.”
Jade Kuan- “My favorite part of the tour was learning about this whole field of health science I had never been exposed to. I’ve gotten my blood tested before, but never thought about what labs actually do with it so it was really exciting to see behind the scenes and learn more about the process!”
Juliet Ladevaia- “Seeing how much technology is used in the lab and how far the healthcare industry has come.”
Ella Lu Thompson- “The Microbiology area was my favorite because I enjoyed seeing the bacteria samples and how they work with those materials.”
What’s something unexpected you learned during the tour?
Sophie Roth Gordon- “Histology was something I didn’t expect or even know about. I was really surprised that something that important and that cool wasn’t advertised as a job. I also was very interested in the part of histology where you slice the sample to put it on a slide. This interests me because I really liked how artistic it feels to watch it get sliced.”
Jade Kuan- “Something unexpected I learned is that to analyze tissue samples, they can be embedded in paraffin wax blocks to make it easier to cut slices so they can be placed on microscopic slides.”
Hassan Lopez- “How much technology is incorporated in the lab. It was really cool how automated it is!”
Ella Lu Thompson- “I learned about Histology! I had no idea about any of that – like how they prepped the slides for doctors.”
What has SARSEF meant for you?
Sophie Roth Gordon- “SARSEF has meant working on projects and being able to understand more about the science behind things. It has also allowed me to find subjects that I really am interested in and can learn a lot more about them with my experiments.”
Jade Kuan- “SARSEF has been a way for me to explore my curiosity for the world while also helping people. I’ve explored so many questions I’ve had and learned so many new skills through my research, such as technical lab skills, but also scientific communication skills though presenting my projects to judges.”
Hassan Lopez- “SARSEF is an opportunity to show a passion that I have for science.”
Juliet Ladevaia- “SARSEF has given me an opportunity to learn and grow by potential for science. It a really good opportunity that can help me with my future so I am really excited about that.”
Max Casler: “SARSEF has meant a lot to me because I have been recognized for something I worked hard to do.”
Learn more about the students who toured Sonora Quest Laboratories and their Science Projects:
Jade Kuan, Grade 12
University High School, Tucson, AZ
Liam Superville, Grade 12
Tucson High Magnet High School, Tucson, AZ
Daveena Biswas, Grade 11
BASIS Oro Valley, Oro Valley, AZ
Sophie Roth Gordon, Grade 8
Orange Grove Middle School, Tucson, AZ
Investigating Biophilia: Do Plant or Water Images Reduce Stress?
Max Casler, Grade 7
L. W. Cross Middle School, Tucson, AZ
How Does Blood React to Different Temperatures of Water
Ella Lu Thompson, Grade 7
L. W. Cross Middle School, Tucson, AZ
Lysol Spray vs. Lysol Wipes Starring Money
Hassan Lopez, Grade 7
L. W. Cross Middle School, Tucson, AZ
MiscO3nceptions of Aqueous Ozone
Juliet Ladevaia, Grade 7
L. W. Cross Middle School, Tucson, AZ