UC San Diego, Scientist and Nurse, California
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
8/10. I had a couple really strong friendships and enjoyed the extracurriculars. There was a lot of competition for AP/honors classes, so I didn't always get in, which seemed like a big deal then (it's not!!).
Grades in high school
Mostly A's
Favorite subjects
Math, Science
Struggled with...
French - just never came smoothly to me. always translating in my head and forgetting words.
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
“ I’ve spent too much of my life trying to be what others wanted me to be and comparing myself against some ridiculous standard that no one could meet. I’m good at a number of things and am a good person, and now I know that.”
Attended college / university at
UCSD
Majored in
General Biology
Post-graduate education or training
masters degree in nursing
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
scientist, nurse, stay at home mom, currently work in pharmaceutical industry.
Industries I've worked in
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (e.g. Law, Accounting, Interior Design, Graphic Design, R&D, PR, Advertising, etc.)
- Health Care and Social Assistance
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes, although wasn't a straight path. I use my scientific and nursing backgrounds in my current job.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
absolutely. I thought i wanted to be a doctor, but wasn't able to make the grades in college. applied to dental and optometry school and was rejected. work as a chemist for a while, but saw no future without advanced degree. Went to nursing school and worked as RN for a while, but then had kids and the schedule was too hard. Got a chance to enter pharmaceutical industry in drug safety and have been doing that ever since.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
having strong, positive relationships in my life, being a good role model for my kids, having a strong sense of who I am and what matters to me.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I think when I was younger, it was more financially based and/or making some discovery of major impact on the world
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
becoming confident in who I am. At 41, I've spent too much of my life trying to be what others wanted me to be and comparing myself against some ridiculous standard that no one could meet. I'm good at a number of things and am a good person, and now I know that. I don't need others to validate me constantly.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I married the absolute wrong person. I was very shy and lacked confidence, and was rarely asked out. In my 20s, my friends were "all engaged" (not true, but how it felt), my mom expressed she had given up on me ever getting married (I was 22), so the first man who expressed any interest, I married. He was 20 years older, and treated me terribly. It's been a real rocky road getting out of that situation and protecting our kids from his hurtful ways, but I also probably wouldn't be as confident in myself if I hadn't gone through that fire.
