Then and Now

I'm a Dreamer and I'm a scientist. I've known since I was 8 that I wanted to go into science. I started off at the U of U, but after two semesters it became financially overwhelming. I was a bit depressed, but I didn't want to stop going to school. So I figured I would get my generals at SLCC because it was more affordable and then I would go back to the U of U once I had enough money from working.

While at SLCC, I read about the biotechnology program and got really into it. The classes were small and the way the labs were set up made it easy to get to know my professors. I like to ask a lot of questions and the professors were right there. After two years at SLCC, I transferred to Utah Valley University and completed my bachelor's in biotechnology.

One of my SLCC professors connected me with a paid internship at BioFire Diagnostics—I worked there for five years. Now I'm pursuing my PhD in the U of U's Molecular, Cellular & Evolutionary Biology Program.

"Don't just quit altogether if school becomes financially overwhelming."

Advice

Don't just quit altogether if school becomes financially overwhelming. Take your education one step at a time; you don't need to finish it all in four years and it is okay to start at a community college. Initially, I thought the quality of education at SLCC wouldn't be the same as a bigger institution. I was wrong. I learned so much from my professors, and from the opportunities they helped me pursue beyond the classroom. I absorbed everything in those years—it was so worth it.