As its founder, I brought together a team to explore the potential of cajeput essential oil from different angles. We organized workshops introducing how to mix some essential oils, carried out charitable activities to connect our work with the community, and built a small business around healing products, including the essential oil and foot soak salt. What began as a research question had grown into a project where I had to do much more than conduct experiments – I had to lead a team, communicate an idea, and figure out how to turn it into something people could actually experience.
More than learning new techniques, the experience showed me what it means to work as a young researcher – to follow protocols carefully, learn from mistakes, and trust the process behind every result.
My curiosity about science eventually took me beyond the classroom and into a real laboratory. During my internship at the Institute of Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, I had the opportunity to put what I had learned into practice, from preparing samples and solutions to performing PCR, DNA/protein electrophoresis, and ELISA. Working carefully with real experiments taught me that scientific knowledge is only the beginning; turning it into reliable results requires patience, precision, and countless small steps.