Retrospective on Working in the Lab

As my time in the Human Trafficking Research Lab winds down, I find myself looking back at my time and realizing just how much I really did. I wrote up our lab manual, took minutes in meetings, did a policy brief, got to travel to DC and present at a conference, and a whole lot more. Truly a great experience and I really loved my role as the person who took on what I called the “odd jobs” of working in the lab. I think it was fun to be able to always have something different to do. I also think doing everything else was a lot easier for me than looking at the cases. Because I saw firsthand how much looking at the cases can affect people’s mental health and I am happy to not have subjected myself to that. I don’t know how well I would’ve handled it. Truthfully all I’m feeling as my time with the lab comes is grateful. I earned some money when I really needed it and got to do work that I found important and fulfilling. No complaints, and forever grateful for the opportunity I had to work in the Human Trafficking Research Lab.

Rhys Deiter

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