By: Jessica Jiang

On March 23rd, Saturday, about 10 high school students from AAPASD (Asian American Parent Alliance of San Diego) volunteered at the 8th Annual Frontiers in Therapeutics Diagnostic Forum (FTD) organized by SABPA. This event brings together hundreds of researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs from the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry. It presents various scientific ideas, technological innovations, and encourages collaboration.

Our volunteers mainly helped with front desk reception and registration. To ensure quality service, we divided into three groups: check-in, accounting, and printing. On Saturday morning, we arrived at the venue an hour early and rapidly set up tables for visitor registration, speaker registration, VIP registration, and PhD registration. Each volunteer had specific duties. As attendees arrived, we were busy assisting with check-in, printing names, providing badges, and giving guidance. When needed, volunteers filled in gaps promptly. We also received support and guidance from parents, which helped us complete our tasks smoothly and ensure attendees had a good start.

After registration, I had the chance to attend the presentations in the conference hall. I was impressed by the advanced research achievements. CorDx, a well-known company, caught my attention with its new COVID-19 testing materials. Their innovative test promises faster and more accurate results, potentially revolutionizing diagnostic procedures. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies worldwide, particularly those from China, shared the latest industry progress and breakthroughs in their speeches. Professionals also discussed GRP-1 and its potential benefits for diabetes patients, sparking my curiosity.

During the lunch break, we enjoyed a variety of delicious dishes, including vegetarian rolls, sandwiches, fresh fruits, and chips.

Through this volunteering experience, we learned that passion alone is not enough to excel; planning ahead and teamwork are crucial. This experience deepened our understanding of biomedical and motivated us to seek further opportunities for growth and learning in the future!

Chinese Version:

03月23日星期六，亚美家在圣迭戈组织10名左右高中生到SABPA 的第8届FTD 年会去做义工。此次活动是备受期待的年度治疗学诊断前沿论坛(Frontiers in Therapeutics Diagnostic Forum)，吸引了数百名来自生物医学和制药相关领域的数百 名专家、教授、学者和企业家，汇集了多样的科学思想，并展示科技创新和尖端技术，以 及促进合作和专业发展。

我们的义工主要负责前台接待和注册工作。为了做好这项工作和提供优质的服 务，我们提前做了充分的准备。我们分成了3个小组:接待组、 注册组和打印组。

周六的早晨义工们提前1小时就抵达了会场，迅速的开始工作，有序的布置好桌 子并划分为不同的区域，分别为:访客注册、演讲者注册、VIP注册、博士注册，同时我们 每个义工也承担起不同的责任。很快大批的与会者来到现场，我们一下子非常忙碌起来 ，帮助与会者注册，找到他们的名牌，或者制作名牌，提供咨询等服务。当有的区域人 手不足的时候，其他的义工就会及时主动的去帮忙，或者给出很实用的建议，同时也得 到了家长们的帮助和指导，这让我们的工作能够顺利的完成，也让与会者有个顺畅的开 始。

在完成注册程序后，做为对生物医学领域感兴趣的高中生，我有幸获得进入会场 聆听机会，我被先进的理念和科研成果所震撼。一家名为Kim CorDx的知名公司，以其 突破性的新型COVID-19测试材料引起了我的兴趣。他们研发的测试盒承诺可以提供更 快、更准确的结果，展示了改变诊断流程的可能性。此外，来自世界各地的生物医药公 司，特别是来自中国的有关公司在演讲中披露了行业的最新进展和突破，分享的见解也 给我们带来了很多的启发。学者们围绕GRP-1及其对糖尿病患者的潜在益处进行了讨 论，也让我产生了极大的好奇心。

在午餐休息期间，我们享用了多种美味佳肴，包括美味的素食卷、多汁的肉三明 治、新鲜水果和薯片。

通过这次志愿者活动，让我们理解到做好事情，除了要有热情，还要提前做好规 划，彼此分工合作才能更好的完成任务，为他人或社会提供优质的服务。这次经历，也让我们对生物医学有了进一步的认知，激励我们在未来寻求更多的成长和学习的机会!

特此感谢所有义工、张明珠、月如钩等阿姨，以及所有在整个活动中慷慨提供帮 助和支持的家长们!