We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Chang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During my freshman year of high school, I had a hard time finding research opportunities that were available in my community. During that summer, I decided to join a free online research program for high school female and genderqueer students called Talaria. In Talaria, I worked with a mentor to create a research paper about King Rail populations. I thoroughly enjoyed the mentor-student experience and from there I decided to create my own LA chapter for the program!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets apart Talaria from other research programs is the fact that it is completely free! Many research programs require additional costs to attend while others require housing fees if the program is in-person. Talaria is completely free program that can be online or in-person. All you need to do is fill out an application without charge and see if you are accepted!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One place that would be great to visit in LA is Little Tokyo! It is located in downtown LA and has an abundance of delicious food, small businesses, and historic locations. If you are craving Japanese food, I would highly recommend going here. If you are interested in the arts, I would also recommend going to the Walt Disney concert hall. All you need to do is buy tickets online or in person, and you’ll be able to go listen in on some of the amazing symphonies and concertos the concert hall has to offer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Dr. Rebecca Rooney, professor of the University of Waterloo, who made my Talaria experience super enjoyable! Dr. Rooney patiently guided me through the process of research paper writing, and made my research experience memorable. My positive experience with the program is attributed to her!

Website: https://talariasummerinstitute.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talaria.la/

Image Credits
Mischa Yen Aiquan Chang Natasha Du Jessica Stanek Veronica Louise De Leon

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