2020 Annual Report

From cohort to college: Analis Floyd
ANALIS FLOYD
Analis Floyd tromped through the
Grand Rapids-area marshland,
searching for crawfish and other
animals that she could observe in their
natural, swampy habitat. At times, she
reached down to take water samples, to
test for bacteria and other water quality
indicators.
This wasn’t a traditional research mission,
spearheaded by an environmental agency
or a university. Analis was in grade school
at the time, and she was out in nature
with Van Andel Institute for Education’s
Afterschool Cohort.
Analis joined Afterschool Cohort in the
2006 school year. Her elementary school
principal noticed her academic gifts and
recommended her family sign her up for
the program, which is open to students in
grades 4–7.
Afterschool Cohort immersed Floyd
and her fellow students in engaging
experiences and thought-provoking
experiments designed to help students
learn to think and act like scientists
by applying the scientific method —
proposing a hypothesis and testing it.
Analis remembers conducting experiments
to learn about bacteria on lizards and
how different soils and fertilizers affect
plant growth. At the end of each semester,
students would present their findings to
each other, which helped Analis develop
her public speaking skills.
“Afterschool Cohort opened up a lot
of opportunities for me academically,”
said Analis. “Being that young and super
curious, I was exposed to a lot that I
wouldn’t have been exposed to, being an
inner-city kid in Grand Rapids.”
Analis’ early introduction to the scientific
method through Afterschool Cohort
helped her throughout her education. At
Grand Rapids City High School, she took
advanced biology classes. She earned a
pre-physical therapy degree from Aquinas
College. As of spring 2021, she was close
to completing her master’s degree in
biomedical sciences at Grand Valley State
University while working at Grand Rapidsbased
Hulst Jepsen Physical Therapy.
“To graduate from my master’s degree
program, I have to propose a thesis and
then defend it,” said Analis. “I have to do
research and experiment design and use
the scientific method. Because I did it so
much growing up and during Cohort, I
know what to look for and how to make
things clear and concise.”
Visit vaei.org for more information about
Afterschool Cohort. The program is offered at
no cost thanks to the generous support of a
VAI donor.
26 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2020