My experience with the WISE program this summer was a true learning experience. WISE was my official introduction to the world of research and all that it entails. This 12-week intensive program was created by Dr. Urmila Ghia of the CEAS to promote women’s participation in research in the Science and Engineering fields. During the program, the 27 other girls and I were paired with a Research Mentor who allowed us to work on their individual research projects. I worked under the mentorship of Dr. Karla Washington of the UC Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Her research is conducted out of the Pediatric Language, Literacy, and Speech Lab (PedLLS lab) in the CAHS. My specific project was titled “The Jamaican Creole Language Project: An Examination of Code-Mixing”, where I was able to analyze the rates at which Jamaican preschoolers used Jamaican Creole vs. Standard English across formal expressive language prompts. This project taught me a lot about pediatric language development and code-mixing in bilingual populations. Not only did WISE give me an amazing research project, but through our weekly meetings with speakers and program staff, I was able to learn so much about research professionalism and life after undergraduate studies. I am so grateful to have been a part of an amazing program with other young women who have similar goals and ambitions as I.