“I participated in the B.I.G. Summer program in the summer of 2016. I loved my experience in the program. Participating in B.I.G. Summer gave me a wonderful opportunity for a hands-on bioinformatics research experience at an exceptional university. Not only did this experience grow my resume and skill set, but it increased my confidence in my ability to do research on my own. B.I.G. Summer also gave me the opportunity to form relationships with many wonderful students and professors at UCLA, as well as students from various other schools who were attending the program. B.I.G. Summer was a great way to prepare for applying to and attending graduate school, and gave me the opportunity to observe first-hand what graduate school at UCLA would be like, especially in the Bioinformatics PhD program. Now I am a first-year graduate student in that program, and the relationships I developed because of B.I.G. Summer have continued to help me as I transition into being a graduate student. I am glad I was able to participate in this great program, and would encourage undergraduates to get involved in summer research experiences as soon as possible. It’s really fun and will help prepare you for what’s ahead!”