Hey, everyone! We have a special #WomenCrushingItWednesday today! My best friend let me interview her for #WCW. I’m biased, but she is an awesome person.
*insert “That’s My Best Friend” song.*
She has been there from the beginning! I first noticed my love for science through general biology in community college. I was 16 when I started taking college courses and wanted to be a fashion designer (I know. I was so naive.) On the first day of class, I was a bit nervous as to what to expect in a science class. As some of you know, I was homeschooled and my family never did any experiments or really focused on science, in general. This was a new completely experience for me. As I waited for the class to begin, I overheard someone say, “I was homeschooled.” I looked over and saw this pretty brunette sitting at a nearby table. I thought to myself, I was homeschooled too! I should introduce myself. Now, let me just tell ya’ll. I was SO awkward, but I really wanted to make friends. I had worked up the courage to talk to this girl during our class break. I was a bit intimidated, because I thought she was so pretty and cool haha! I was such a weirdo. We both went to the bathroom, and I decided to ask Jenn if she had said that she was homeschooled. Pretty sure I stuttered like the awkward person I was (….still kind of am). From there, we hit it off and started bonding on shared “homeschooled kid” experiences. We were literally like peanut butter and jelly, and our professor hated it.
She has encouraged me throughout my pre-med journey and has always been there when I needed an ear. We began at the same point but went on two different paths. She went on the more research-centered path, while I pursued medicine. She majored in biology, while I ended up majoring in sociology. We still share a love of biology, though we chose different routes. I want my followers to know that there are other options within the STEM field. Here, Jennalee will talk about her experience being involved in the research aspect of STEM. There are many research careers that you can work toward and lots of areas of biology-related research. Those areas of research include biomedical, ecology, plant biology, computational biology, marine biology, and neurobiology, just to name a few. Jenn works in environmental analysis, which studies the interaction of humanity and its environment to prevent harm to the Earth. Pretty cool, right? Hope you enjoy her interview!
*My notes are in pink.
Tell me a bit about yourself. What did you major in? What is your professional background?
I was homeschooled from 2nd grade all the way through my high school graduation, but I started attending a community college when I was 16 for dual enrollment. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in when I was at community college, so I got my Associate Degree in General Studies. After that, I transferred to a university and majored in Biology. I had always been particularly fond of science, any potential career choice was science related, and while I was at community college I had a professor that helped me realize how much I really enjoyed Biology. I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree almost a year ago and I currently work in an environmental hazards lab where I analyze drinking water for lead.
Jenn looking all science-y at her environmental analyst job. Here, she is doing some pipet work…and taking a cute selfie. 🙂
How did we meet?
We met in General Biology at community college! Well, sort of. We sat at different tables in class and someone at my table asked me where I went to high school. I guess you overheard me say that I was homeschooled because later during one of our restroom breaks (since it was a 3-hour class) you said that you had been homeschooled, too. We sat at the same table following that class. 🙂 (Yup!)
Do you own a pet?
I have a lot of pets! Animals have always been a big part of my life because I grew up on a farm. But, my pride and joy is my tuxedo cat, Milo. I could write a book about him. He’s actually on my lap as I write this. Good thing there is a backspace button, otherwise you would be seeing his contributions to my answer as well. (Here’s Milo. Isn’t he cute?)
What hobbies do you like to do outside of work/school?
I love to bake and decorate cakes. I also play the piano and spend time with Milo and my boyfriend. (Take a moment to appreciate some of her work below.)
Favorite food? Movie? TV show? Book?
I’ve never been picky about food, so I can’t say that I have a favorite. I love vegetables. Squash, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are some favorites. My favorite movie has to be the 25th anniversary performance of Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall. (*Our favorite movie. Though, I love the actual movie version as well.) I cry every time. I like so many different books, so that is hard to answer as well. Frankenstein and Harry Potter are what currently come to mind.
Biology is such a popular pre-med route. Why did you decide on this career path vs. a career in medicine?
There were many different factors in my decision. Several careers that I considered went the science route, veterinarian and dietitian specifically, but I wasn’t exactly sure which career route I wanted to take, so I wanted to leave it sort of open and just major in Biology as a start. Money, my part time job at the time, and other responsibilities were also factors that weighed in on the decision making. I also knew that when I have a family of my own that I want to stay at home with the children, so I didn’t see the wisdom in going through many more years of schooling for a career in medicine that I would then leave to stay at home to raise my kids. There are many people who balance family and medicine, but I felt personally that I could not do both. Taylor plans to be one of these people (AKA supermoms) in the future.
What do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
I analyze drinking water samples for lead content. When samples first come in, they are prepared by being preserved with concentrated nitric acid to a pH under 2. Then the samples have to sit for 24 hours until the pH can be checked again. The turbidity of the waters then has to be measured and, if the turbidity is under 1 NTU, they are ready for analysis. I analyze the samples with a Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAA). A tiny amount of the sample is dropped into a graphite tube and electrodes heat up the tube to a very high temperature, around 2200 degrees Celsius. The water is evaporated while leaving behind the lead which is then measured in parts per billion. Lastly, a report is given to the clients with the numbers.
If you had to break it up into percentages, how do you spend your day?
I can’t really break up my work day into percentages because I am always bouncing back and forth between different things while I am there. But I can sort of break my general day down into something like 50% work, 20% commuting, 20% chores around home, and 10% miscellaneous. I definitely miss having more free time, haha.
What kinds of problems do you deal with? What kinds of decisions do you make?
The GFAA can be a very finicky instrument sometimes, so there can be a lot of troubleshooting with that and deciding which route to take to fix whatever issue it may be having.
What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying/exciting? Most challenging?
What I find the most satisfying is that I am helping people. Not in the direct way that medical professionals help people, but a more roundabout way. By me analyzing the waters and giving the report, our clients are then able to take the measures needed to reduce or eradicate the lead in the water that they drink, therefore preventing lead poisoning and developmental issues. A lot of our samples come from schools all over the country, specifically elementary schools, so it is extremely important to make sure that there is no lead in the water that many children drink.
What I find the most challenging is probably time management. As I said before, the samples have to sit for at least 24 hours, and some clients need the results the day after they send in the sample, so managing the time to make sure they are analyzed by the deadline can sometimes be a little tricky.
Is there flexibility as far as work hours?
Yes. As long as I get my 40 hours a week, I can pretty much go in whenever, within reason.
How has your job affected your lifestyle?
I wake up and go to bed much earlier now. I also have less time for things I would like to do. I have had people tell me that I am no fun anymore, but I do what I have to do!
What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field? How did you learn these skills?
For my specific position, a bit of math skills are needed. I have to make standards and dilutions from ppm to ppb, etc. Pipetting skills are also a must.
What experience is necessary for your field of work?
I was trained on site after I was hired, so really all I needed was my Biology degree!
What extracurriculars did you hold in undergrad?
I didn’t have any time for extracurricular activities! I didn’t live on campus and I commuted almost an hour to school and then home again, when I got home I needed to feed the animals and do other chores on the farm, I had my part time job, and then I had to do homework and find time to spend with my boyfriend. I was always busy!
What are leadership roles and are they really THAT important?
I think leadership roles are extremely important. Whether in school, work, or other aspects of life, it is good to hear advice from other people who have been through something similar and can pass on their knowledge to you.
What other jobs can you get with the same background?
I could honestly go many different lab routes. A lot of labs require a Bachelor’s degree in science and will train on site. For instance, I applied to a pharmaceutical lab, a drug analysis lab, and a cigarette testing lab before I ended up where I am now.
How important are grades and GPA when considering a career in science?
I think grades and GPA are really important in any major, but it won’t kill you if you get some not-so-great grades. Not everyone does well at taking tests, but they may grasp the information and concepts just fine. I think it is important to strive for good grades, but if that doesn’t always happen, don’t be too hard on yourself. It isn’t the end of the world.
How did you stay motivated while in college?
GPA was my main motivation! My 3 older sisters had done extremely well: high school valedictorian and salutatorians, graduating college summa cum laude, so I had that extra motivation to do well like they had. That and not wanting to have to take a class again because I was working to pay for myself to get through college.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Do you have an idea of what you want to do as a career?
I would love to start a family of my own, but other than that I don’t have any major plans. I like to take each day as it comes. As far as career, I am happy getting needed experience where I am. Whether or not I choose to stay at this job for many years or move on to something else, I don’t know what will happen. But, I am a big believer in that what is meant to happen, will happen.
What special advice do you have for a student seeking to qualify for this position?
Be persistent in your job search. I had to apply to a lot of positions before receiving interviews. I found this position online and sent in my resume. I received an interview a few weeks later. You will eventually find something. Don’t give up.
Finally, do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?
Do what makes you happy and what you think is right for you, whatever path that is. I had many professors tell me that I should go on for more school and that you can’t really get a good job with just a BS, but they didn’t know the other facets of my life, and so I did what I knew would be the right choice for me based on many different factors. Get advice from others, but ultimately make your own decision because nobody knows you better than you know yourself.
Thanks for this interview, Jenn! She’s the best! No matter what, she will always be my lab partner for life. ♥♥♥
Hope this was a good, informative read! If you have any questions, reach out via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Be sure to check out my other posts. There is more to come soon! Until then be kind and remember tomorrow depends on what you do today. Hope you enjoyed reading! — Taylor ❤
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