About Me
up close & personal
I’ve always been drawn to life sciences- as a child, my backyard was a jungle and I was a biologist surveying new species of plants and bugs. My most cherished possession was a microscope I got for my eleventh birthday. I won a red ribbon at the county science fair, I was captain of an engineering competition team, and yet I went through high school thinking I’d never be good enough to major in a science. I thought biology was too difficult to be anything more than a hobby. But, as I reflected on high school, I was prouder of my less-than-perfect scores in science, which reflected determination and great potential. As I chose my classes, something told me to take the chance and believe in my capabilities. My moment of confidence was the nudge I needed to dive head-first into a biology degree.
Since then, I’ve taken every opportunity I can to strengthen my knowledge and experience in my major. My personal achievements since then involved taking leaps of faith and learning to trust my capabilities. I started working as a research assistant on campus my freshman year; prepared for rejection, I knocked on the door of a professor I knew was doing cell research, and this led to lab experience my second semester of freshman year, and a paid position that summer. Another leap of faith involved saying “yes” to an opportunity to present research at PAraCon, a parasitology conference in State College, PA. I was one of the only two undergraduates in a sea of professors and graduate students presenting at the conference.
Although daunting at first, the experience taught me that even developed and experienced scientists constantly ask questions. I saw that even though these scientists have been studying parasites for decades, I still had new information to share. As I dig deeper into my career, there will always be something to learn.
In a panel discussion at one of our STEM outreach programs at school, a young lady asked me, “but isn’t majoring in a science hard?” It was a difficult question to answer. Yes, majoring in STEM requires hard work, dedication, and self-discipline. But I never want the difficulty of a subject to deter someone from following their passion.
That's when I realized what I value most about my career is sharing knowledge in a creative way- which is why I strengthened my teaching skills by taking courses in Secondary Science Education and serving as a Curriculum Developer and Educator at Upward Bound. These experiences gave me the opportunity to creatively break down complex life science topics and address student challenges.
My strengths and passions lie in creative design and education, and I offer a unique background in science and education that drives me to target client’s needs and help them understand difficult concepts in a clear and simple manner.