I was inspired by my high school biology teacher, an advanced high school biology course and a general curiosity about living things.

My field is all about being a well-rounded individual. While language and speech classes are important for conveying information to colleagues and potential customers, the biological field is heavily based on science. In high school, I would recommend biology, chemistry, physics, statistics and even calculus. In college, your courses should fit your interests. I work in a molecular genetics and pathogens field, so courses like genetics, virology, bacteriology, biochemistry and statistics are very relevant. Biology is very broad, ranging from sub-cellular to populations and biodiversity — all very important topics within the concept of STEM.

Knowing I’m working at a place that encompasses the breadth of my Rose-Hulman education, and allows me to do research associated with PhD-level individuals while only holding a bachelor’s degree.