Last summer, I had the opportunity to attend UC COSMOS at UC Irvine — a four-week residential program where high school students get to live on a university campus and do actual science. My cluster focused on how bacteria respond to changing environments, and honestly, it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I've had. I went in knowing I was interested in biology, but I came out with a whole new appreciation for how complex — and how personal — microbiology really is.