Topic of the Month-CAREER PLANS
November 2003

A: FROM MENTOR VANESSA BUI IN TX
I decided on my career choice very early, when I was in high school. With this in mind, I entered college taking most science classes that was required for pharmacy. But the more biology classes I took , the more fascinated I became with other career choices like optometry and medical. I even applied and got accepted to the College of Optometry, but I didn't pursue it. I stayed with my first career choice and worked in retail pharmacy after I graduated. I was fulfilled at the time because retail pharmacy paid well and job was abundant. The high income came in handy with paying college debts. But after 5 years, I wanted to explore other pharmacy options. I switched gear and went to work for a children's hospital. I currently work as an investigational pharmacist. The pay is much less, but the reward is working with children and having a hand in finding a cure with future drugs.

So, even though I knew what field I wanted to go into, but through experience, I explored the options and found an even more rewarding career choice. I don't regret any of my choices, I just think of them as wonderful experiences.
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A: FROM MENTOR CHARLENE CASSIDY IN SC
When I entered college, I knew that I wanted to be an engineer, and my plan was to become aerospace engineer, because I was fascinated with airplanes, particularly military planes. During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years, I got a job in the District office of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation (PADOT) near where I lived. I got to interact with the civil -- highway, traffic and bridge engineers who worked and the office, and found that I really enjoyed the things they were doing. When I returned to school in the fall, I started looking more closely at the CE program and decided that was the way to go for me. I continued to work at PADOT during the summers, and when it came time to choose my technical electives (more advanced courses)-- I chose bridge design. Upon graduation I was offered a position at a consulting firm and spent my first year working on a construction project (one of the most valuable experiences of my career) and then went to work in the office. At that time, the bridge design department was a little low on work, but the highway design department had quite a bit, so I was assigned to it and learned a considerable amount about highway and highway drainage design. I'm still doing highway design and have no regrets about the path my career has taken. I don't feel that I wasted any time taking advanced course work out of my "field" either -- I regularly work with bridge designers, and have an understanding of what they do.

My experience is one of the reasons that I often tell high schoolers that they need not worry if they are unsure about what they want to do upon entering college -- they have time to explore career options and the right path will find them.
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A: FROM MENTOR MARTY CHINTALA IN RI
This is a great topic. I did enter college with a career plan, but not
necessarily a career path. I knew that I wanted to be a marine
biologist from an early age. At that time they didn't have marine
biology as a major- you got a degree in biology and then moved on from
there. Some of the goals that I set for myself included attending
college, going to graduate school to earn a Ph.D., learning to scuba
dive, live in a warm climate, and enjoy what I do. Some of them I
achieved as planned and others changed along the way. I did go to
college, learn to scuba dive, and I enjoy what I do. I also went to
graduate school, but I learned along the way that I really didn't want
the lifestyle that having a Ph.D. in an academic environment forced me
to have (difficult to get a job, having to move frequently, need to
write grants and papers all the time) and I became disillusioned with
that goal. I felt that I was being forced away from the reason why I
went into science in the first place- getting to do the hands on work.
So I stopped with a Master's degree even though the system kept telling
me that I should go on (not necessarily because I wanted to, but because
it was what you were supposed to do). I am lucky now because my current
job allows me to do all the aspects of the job including project
planning, conducting the research, and writing up the results. I am
still working on the living in a warm climate part- that's the one thing
about my job that I don't like as much. I think it is very important
to have goals, but I think it is also very important to follow the goals
that you really want for yourself and be willing to change your mind and
direction as you grow older and experience different things. I decided
that if I was not happy with what I was doing, then I was going to
change something rather than be unhappy. I have the philosophy that
things happen for a reason and we may not always know that reason, and
that things always work out- maybe not the way you originally thought,
but they do. For me, the most difficult part of the whole process of
school and career development is balancing what you really want with
what you are told to do for the betterment of your career.
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A: FROM MENTOR DAVINIA CHISM IN TX
When I was young, I loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian, but did
not know much about what they really do.

Then, as a young teen, I learned to fly and fell in love in airplanes. I
decided I wanted to be a pilot. After pursuing the Air Force Academy and
learning that my vision and being a female would keep me from flying
fighter jets, I decided I would be an aeronautical engineer. My hobbies
and classes in high school were geared towards this.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to skip my last two years of high
school and start college early in a program that emphasized math and
science. Starting my 'career path' early did not deter my plans. However,
my experiences did. I quickly learned that my interests in topics were not
only biased by my inclination towards them, but how they were taught.
Really fantastic instructors could pass their enthusiasm to the students no
matter how dry the topic. Conversely, instructors could also ruin a
subject with lack of support.

I did not enjoy my first aerospace engineering class and was turned off to
engineering in general. I continued pursuing my math classes and other
electives that seemed interesting. Mechanical drafting, architecture,
computer science, etc. My interest in flying and planes had not
diminished. I considered avionics and got a job working with computers.
Then I took a co-op job with a company designing flight simulators for the
Air Force. I was exposed to engineering again - in a real work
environment. I fell in love with it.

I continued my degree in Math and minored in Computer Science Engineering.
I wanted to keep my options open but knew I was fascinated by airplanes,
military systems and engineering. After graduation, I got a fantastic job
as a systems engineer for a defense company. Since then I have worked on
airplanes, missiles, tanks, and sensors. The companies I have worked for
have paid for my two Master's degrees.

I have enjoyed my experiences and enjoyed learning. I still have new
opportunities and interests crop up. They help guide me to different jobs
and a challenging career.

So, I would have the following advice for those entering college:
1. Explore as much as you can when you are in high school. Know what
interests you. Know what makes money and what doesn't.

2. Go to college and explore the subjects you are interested in. Also
explore other subjects you never considered or had available that seem
interesting. You may find your true calling!

3. Work. College teaches you the basics of a subject, but most
importantly, it teaches you to learn. Work during college, not to make
millions, but to experience what your chosen career is REALLY like. Have
mentors and enter co-op or intern programs.

4. Keep an open mind. Things do happen for a reason and there are
opportunities and adventures you never even dreamed about out there. You
want your career to be one you truly love, so don't be afraid to change
your mind (or not make it up!).
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A: FROM MENTOR ROSE CLARK IN PA
Yes, I had a career plan entering college since all of the scholarships that I applied for required a career plan. Of course, I had no idea of what I exactly wanted to do until I got to college. In my career plan, I stated that I wanted to attend college, major in biology, and then teach high school. My plan was changed many times after this initial declaration. During my freshman year of college, I changed my major to chemistry expecting to work in the chemical industry. One of my professors introduced me to research and then that plan was changed. I decided to go on to complete my Ph.D. in chemistry. After my Ph.D., I had to decide if I wanted to go into industry or teach at the university level. It was an easy decision at this point to go into teaching. Many things have changed in my career plans as I have progressed through my education. All of them have been wonderful and I truly enjoy my career as an Associate Professor of Chemistry. Good luck on your decision making and do not worry about making changes. You always have to do what is best for you and makes you happy.
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A: FROM MENTOR KATHERINE DRENNON IN KY

I knew from the time I was a little girl that I wanted to be a pediatrician. Every effort I made in high school (good grades, club leadership positions, scholarship applications, etc) was made to achieve this ultimate goal. I didn't let thoughts of any other career path cloud my tunnel vision towards medical school. Ultimately that was my undoing. By the time I reached senior year of college, I was burned out big time. I was taking the MCATs, applying for medical school, going to school full time (and taking all my upper level major courses), working part time, and trying to make time for my marriage of three years. It was too much. By the time I got done with my degree, I really didn't want to go through another four years of gruelling school work. Which was good because I didn't get accepted into medical school.
I was forced to take a good hard look at what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Thankfully, I had generous professor who saw merit in my work. I had done research for him during my undergraduate education, and he offered me a job right after I graduated. I didn't think about it at the time, I just took the job and continued with my soul searching to see where I would head next in my career. Before I knew it, I was really enjoying doing research, and I came to realize that being a research laboratory technican was fun, rewarding, and in high demand.
So, while my single-mindedness about medical school gave me good motivation to do well in school (both high school and college), if I had been a little less close-minded about my future, I might have avoided the sense of helplessness I had when I was left without that M.D.
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A: FROM MENTOR SHEILA ENGLAND IN PA

I only knew that I wanted to get a degree in Mathematics because it was my favorite class starting with 7th grade Algebra I.

I came from a family where no one had attended college and had no hopes of being supported in my goal to obtain a college degree. My career goal in high school was to become a secretary and then work my way through college. I opted to take both academic and secretarial classes for this reason.

My first college degree was in Applied Mathematics. It was not easy to get a job with this degree so I decided to become certified as a Secondary Teacher. After getting this degree, I taught for 6 years. While I worked I went back to college and earned a master's degree in Information Science, a combination of technology, statistics and human factors. I hoped to get a job as the computer coordinator for a school district. When this did not occur, I did some research on what I was qualified to do with by my education and experience. I discovered that I could teach technology in higher education at the associated degree level. I did this for less than a year when I knew that I loved doing software development more than I liked teaching it. I applied for a job as a software engineer and I have been doing this for the last 8 years. I am fortunate to have found my ideal job.
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A: FROM MENTOR NATALIE GIVANS IN VA
I did enter college with a career plan. I planned to be an Astronaut,
so first planned to enter the Air Force ROTC, and study chemical
engineering, then go into the space program and do fuels research and
development for space craft. All of that changed mid year Sophomore
year - my eyesight was not good enough to be a pilot or navigator; the
Air Force colonel on campus and I did not see eye to eye on women's role
in the military, so I separated from their program; and I really did not
like chemical engineering - I had preferred chemistry and life sciences
courses. So, I ended up in Electrical engineering, interviewed with
Booz Allen as well as 10 other companies my senior year, thought I would
go into speech recognition, the topic of my thesis, and then switched
again at Booz Allen into information security/assurance technology
solutions and consulting. I keep evolving my career even now, after 20
years. Now I'm a Vice President, running an office in Charleston SC,
leading a team of 130 engineers and analysts in McLean VA, and leading
marketing initiatives, delivery of technology, and internal governance
in many fun areas. And, I have three great kids, two of whom I adopted
when I married their dad when they were 9 years old - who could have
guessed it would go that way!

I hope young ladies will keep options open, be curious, work hard, be
reliable, and treat life as a fun journey, rather than assuming you must
have a plan and stick to it at all costs!
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A: FROM MENTOR DEBORAH GRUBBE IN DELAWARE
I started high school thinking I wanted to be a math teacher! In my
junior year, my math teacher asked me "What do you want to be when you grow
up, Grubbe?" When I told him about becoming a math teacher, he suggested
engineering, because there were too many math teachers at the time!

So, I started college knowing that I wanted to become an engineer.
Originally thinking biomedical engineering, I eventually switched majors at
Purdue and ended up becoming a chemical engineer with a biomedical option!
Needless to say, I have been excited about my career for many years, and I
am proud to be an engineer!

My advice would be "Do not worry about changes in your career. Be sure
you are happy, and the rest will take care of itself! Remember, life is
what happens to you as you go about trying to live out your plans!"
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A: FROM MENTOR ANDREA GUNTHER IN WA
My plans at almost every career stage have two parts;
1) What do I want to be doing in the near future
(in the next two years) and 2) what do I want to be
doing in the far future (ten years from now).
Entering college I was sure about math/science and by
the time I made my final pick of colleges I was
sure about engineering. During my senior year of high
school I was debating between physics and engineering.
After talking to some physics majors and some
engineering majors, I decided that I was
more interested in the application and less interested
in the research. I learned a lot from people who
were enthusiastic about their majors and career
possibilities.
Talking to these same college students, helped me
decide on civil engineering and I picked geotechnical
(soils and foundations) as my concentration. I was
not confident with my decision as a civil engineer and
even less secure with my choice of concentration.
The summer after my senior year of high school I got a
job at a geotechnical engineering firm. In the
beginning I answered phones and typed up reports but
was quickly shown how to run some of the tests in
the lab. It was very scary having my first job with
real responsibility and consequences based on my test
results. The next few summer breaks, I continued to
work in the soils lab. Now that I was actually in
college I learned more about the different types of
civil engineering. I switched my concentration to
structural engineering (typically bridges and
buildings).
The end of my junior year I worked an eight month
co-op at a place that refurbished old airplanes and
converted them into military reconnaissance airplanes.
I spent most of that time with the engineers
working on drafting and 3-D modeling of parts. I
spent the last month with a "stress analyst" and fell
in love with the idea of determining the strength of
parts based on their material properties and geometry.
This experience confirmed my decision to concentrate
in structural engineering.
As I approached graduation, the prospects of a job
were good and I decided not to go to graduate
school. I was heavily in debt from tuition and the
job offers were good.
During this entire time at school I had given no
thought to what kind of company I wanted to work for.
In the end, I picked a large company that would provide
flexibility, good continuing education benefits (free
additional classes), and minimal travel. It also
provided unlimited access to the manufacturing
facility.
Now I am still at the same company but I have changed
groups several times so I am continually learning
and am enjoying being able to start my day at a time
chosen by me (within reason).
I still look ahead a few years and make sure that the
courses I take and the job assignments for which I
volunteer point me in the direction I want to go. In
the beginning of college I mostly tried to keep my
options open by studying hard and talking with other
students in different engineering disciplines. As
long as you are doing something that you currently enjoy
and it will open opportunities for other things you
will enjoy in the future your efforts and experiences will
be fulfilling. In college I enjoyed the classes I was
taking (although there were miserable moments) and was
excited about becoming an engineer upon
graduating.
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A: FROM MENTOR REBECCA HOLMQUIST IN INDIANA
I spent my senior year of high school planning for college. I knew I
was interested in science, but like many, I thought that meant being a
doctor. I visitied IU Med school, took advanced placement classes, and
I also took classes at the local university in preparation for college.
When I entered college, I definitely stayed on that track until I
realized that Medicine was not the career path for me. I completed
college with a BS in Biology with no plans to apply for med school and
really did not know what to do. Fortunately, I was able to accept
several internships that helped me to determine how to use my talents.
Through internships I realized that science education was the path for
me and I continued my education with a Masters degree in Education.
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A: FROM MENTOR JACQUELYN JURGA IN MA
As a child, I loved to draw, paint, and sculpt. In high school I excelled
in art and knew I would go to college to study in that field.
Fortunately, I received a scholarship, and headed off to college to become
an artist. It did not take long to notice I was not the best any longer.
It took me a while to understand ... I was now at a school where everyone
was the 'best' from all over the country.
I was told I had talent but was 'stiff', and should take mechanical drawing
instead of the more free spirited courses. I did just that, and excelled
in the course. It took me many years of night school, but today I am a
mechanical engineer. Those instructors and professors did me a favor by
telling me the truth about the direction of my talents. I love being a
mechanical engineer. It is challenging, financially very good, the
international travel is exciting. I still love art and have visited art
museums all over the world. I also draw, paint and sculpt in my free time.
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A: FROM MENTOR BARB KONTOGIANNIS IN CO
I did not enter college with an exact career plan, but I did know that I wanted to work in the aerospace industry, preferably in space exploration or maybe high speed aircraft. I set a goal in high school to become an aerospace engineer, and I did it! I considered other paths, like civil engineering for building infrastructure, but always came back to my first love - space. I have now worked in the aerospace industry for 15 years, and have no regrets.
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A: FROM MENTOR JUDY LONG IN CO
I did not enter college with a career plan. I really
didn't know what kinds of careers were available other
than what my parents did at their jobs. The only idea
I had for a career in high school was to become a
veterinarian but I found out by visiting my
veterinarian during an operation that I'd have to
overcome my weak stomach to continue with that goal.
I considered several careers during college, including
teaching, wildlife biologist, architect and
oceanographer. I took classes in those areas and
didn't choose any of those for different reasons.
Computers were very new and rudimentary in the mid
1970's and I didn't even consider a career in Computer
Science or Engineering but that's where I ended up.
My university had a Career Center but for some reason
it didn't help me at all. It would have helped a lot
to have had a mentor and career counseling. My
parents did not go to college and it would have also
helped if they or another adult could give me advice.
It all worked out ok since my degreee in Math gave me
a good headstart when I started sending out resumes.
It was a bumpy road but now twenty years later I'm
happy in my career as an engineer.
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A: FROM MENTOR ANNE LUCIETTO IN IL
My career plan was to get dual degrees in Biology and Music and then go to Medical School... after 2 years, I transferred to Engineering and have gone on from there.

Did you set concrete career goals in high school or college?
I did not set career goals in high school or college. I wanted to take opportunities as they presented themselves. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to not box myself in with a very narrow focus.

Did you achieve them as planned or did they change along the way?
I just answered that question!
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A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
Every time I read about how one should plan her career, should have
specific goals and timetables and pursue them single-mindedly, I have
to wonder if I lived in the same universe as the writer! I knew, in
high school, that I would go to college; my parents had gone, I was a
good student, and it was simply assumed. [In contrast, my mother had
assumed she would not be able to go to college and took courses in
high school that greatly limited her options when she did in fact
enroll. But that's another story.]

In high school I thought I wanted to be a mathematician. I was good
at math (though not the best in my class), and its purity and
abstraction appealed to me. Here was a subject that was really TRUE,
where truths could be proved, where truths were independent of human
wishes, prejudices, and emotions. I liked that. But in my first
semester of college I talked my way into a course that was way over
my head. I didn't have any idea of how to attack a math problem if
the way to proceed was not simply obvious to me.

So I fell back on chemistry as a possible major. Solutions to
chemistry problems were still obvious. I still enjoyed the subject.
It was messier than math - more connected to the real world and its
uncertainties - but still independent of human emotions.

But I still had very little notion of a _career_. I had no (zero)
women faculty in college, though I did see some female grad students.
At the time it seemed to me inevitable that I would marry and that my
life would be hostage to my husband's career and to children - though
I wasn't particularly interested in marriage and children, that just
seemed to be the fate of all women. And I was surprisingly unaware
of how many mothers worked outside the home. That could be because
my own mother had stopped teaching in order to have her children, and
had talked about how, in the 1930's, there was great resistance to
married women holding jobs, let along mothers holding jobs. Her
experience now seems to me not to have been so typical, but when I
was young it seemed an inevitable fate.

After my junior year I had a summer job in a research lab at a drug
company. There I saw that without a PhD I'd never be able to pursue
my own ideas. So I went to graduate school to get a license to be
independent, and because I was still good at school and a bit afraid
I wouldn't be any good at anything _but_ school. In graduate school
too I saw hardly any independent women scientists, and those who were
married tended to have marginal positions in other people's labs. So
my perception of conflict between a career and marriage/family
persisted, and inhibited me from _planning_ for a career because I
expected I wouldn't carry out any plan if I had one.

As it turned out, I never did marry. I got a job as assistant
professor, got tenure. And then a major change happened: I became
less interested in the physical world and more interested in human
beings and their messy emotions and illogical psychology. Whether
this change was the cause or the effect of my spending my second 15
years as associate dean of the graduate school is hard to tell; the
change in career and focus took place over the same time. I couldn't
have _planned_ better to have a varied career that suited my
psychological needs as they changed over decades.

What good can this story of feckless passivity do young people now?
Of course it's good to have plans. It's clear that work and family
are not _totally_ incompatible. Many of you mentees write as if the
career goal you have now will be the same for all your life and as if
everything you study now should be directed toward that goal. If
there's any lesson from my experience, it's that you are likely to
change and your goals will change, so you should establish a broad
foundation and be flexible in considering different kinds of
opportunities as they arise. Life is too wonderful to be totally
planned!
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A: FROM MENTOR KRIS MOODY IN NH
I did not have a career plan when I entered college. I held a variety of
interests, most of which were not too closely related. I thought I might
major in either Latin, architectural design, psychology or some kind of
engineering. I chose a school that did not have an architecture program,
so I started out in the engineering program since it had the most course
requirements out of all my other interests. I also took Latin classes and
psychology classes. Over time, I found myself sticking with the
engineering. Even within engineering, I found that I liked many of the
different engineering fields of study. I did really well in mechanical
engineering classes. But I was drawn to the electrical, and eventually
that's where I stayed. I've worked in the semiconductor industry designing
chips ever since I graduated from college, and I feel like it really has
been the right thing for me. I didn't really plan it, but it definitely
worked out, and it feels good.
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A: FROM MEMBER TERESA N. IN TX

I had some goals in mind when I just started highschool. Get straight A's, do good in competition, etc. I had in mind to go into the medical field, everything is going great. I want to be a doctor, a pharmacist, or anything else in the medical field. School is tough for me at times. I'm doing okay in Geometry and Biology. Biology is very interesting, probably my favorite subject because I'm not struggling with it like English. Last year in eighth grade I took IPC. It was a great class. We learned about physics and chemistry. We learned how to figure out how far something would go if it dropped from a certain height using the gravitational pull of the earth, what would happen if we put sulfur in to another substance, and how to create machines with just 6 of the simple machines.
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A: FROM MENTOR KAREN PELLETIER IN MA
My family is a huge believer in Higher Education. As a result my mother insisted I complete one year of college. So that became my goal. As I began my search for colleges, I identified two areas of interest music and recreation. I chose a school, the University of Maine at Orono, where I could study both areas of interest with a career as a music educator or town recreation director in mind. As I began to study Music, I realized I didn't enjoy practicing 4 hours a day, so I became a Recreation and Parks Education Major. As I struggled through my first year of college I set the bar higher to complete four years of education and obtain a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Parks Education with a minor in music. During my course of study I realized there were many other careers in Recreation. One was industrial recreation, which is similar to town recreation, but you run a program for a company. During my junior year, I obtained a summer internship with a company that sponsored Industrial Recreation. After graduation I was hired full time by that same company. My second goal was reached. As I followed my career path it took many turns along the way as experiences or life changes provided me guidance in order to set the next goal or challenge. As a director of recreation, I quickly learned that this was like running a business and I needed to increase my skills in that area so I set out and obtained an MBA. At the same time the personal computer and information technology began to enter corporations. As the environment around me changed I adapted to it. That is where I took my next career turn. I became a User Services Consultant, which allowed me to service people and learn technology. Two things I enjoyed. Because of these skills I moved into a technical support area as a pathway to my current position as a software development project manager. My MBA served me well in this career, since a project manager requires knowledge in accounting, finance, human resources, and operational management. The environment around me changed once again as I deiced to marry and start a family. With this goal in mind I began to identify new career options and planned a path. I chose to continue to work in my current management position until I become a full-time mother. Then I would return to the working world as a Technology Educator (something I enjoy) where the working schedule would be convenient to my family lifestyle. As I set out on this path I needed to set another goal, become a certified technology teacher. This goal would require I obtain a Masters in Education (MEd). I balanced this requirement with my current work opportunities to become a Technology Trainer, which meant my current company would provide educational reimbursement for my MEd . I have completed my MEd and am at a career path cross roads. Setting goals is key to having a plan to move in a direction in order to note progress. Achieving goals is self-satisfying. Managing goals and being flexible is important as your experiences may guide you in a new direction or the environment around you dictates change. With no plan or adapting to change you may get stuck in a rut. This philosophy reminds me of four characters in the story Who Moved My Cheese? written by Spencer Johnson, M.D. The four characters are Sniff, who sniffs out change early; or Scurry, who scurries into action; or Hem, who denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse; or Haw, who learns to adapt in time when he sees changing leads to something better! As we all travel our career maze it is worth identifying which style we are modeling and possible choosing to incorporate another style depending on the circumstance. The purpose of understanding the styles will allow us to find a new cheese station quicker resulting in self-satisfaction. Wishing you all the best on your lifelong career journey.
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A: FROM MENTOR ESHE PICKETT IN IL
I enrolled my freshman year in college as a computer science major in the school of engineering and stayed the course. I would be telling a lie if I didn't say that my resolve wavered constantly about that decision, however I am currently working on my Masters in computer science so I guess I didn't hate it that much. I don't know what my career goal is at this point. I am in the midst of figuring that out, I do know that plans change, and there should always be a plan B, C, D, E, F and G if possible. It had been my plan for as long as I can remember having a plan, to go to the Peace Corps directly after college, come back home, work for a year and then apply to a Masters program, but, here I am. Things change.

I feel as though right now, I have an idea of where I want to end up--working in the field of technology and imparting that knowledge to young women, but not quite the path I will take to get there. The best laid plans of mice and (wo)men...Thus, I am keeping my eye on the end goal, not so much the way to get there. As long as I am moving in the right direction, I am content to say I am fulfilling my career "plan".
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A: FROM MEMBER LISA R. IN PA
Dear Gem-set, I asked my mentor, a science teacher at my school, the questions that were in November's topic of the month. She said in high school she always made goals for herself and made sure she schieved them. As she got older, and attended college she didn't always achieve her goals. It was hard for her because she never had really experienced failure before. As she got older and could deal with failure, she knew that as long as she tried her best her goals could be reached. She loves her job, and thinks that if she hadn't failed so many times her happy life wouldn't be as sweet.
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A: FROM MENTOR SHARON ROSH IN NJ
When I started college in 1986, I thought I wanted to be a high school
English teacher. I decided on that career path as a senior in high
school because I had a fantastic English teacher, Mrs. Heavrin. She
made literature come alive and so I decided I wanted to be her and so I
majored in English education. I loved all my English classes and it was
not until my junior year in college that I realized I had made a
mistake. I still loved English, but I did not like teaching it. My
first encounter with high school students did not go well and I had to
stop and rethink my career choice. My boyfriend at the time (my
husband now) ask me to really think about what I would like to do. I
told him I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I did not think I
was smart enough. He encouraged me to take a few prerequisite courses
which included microbiology and chemistry. I was very intimidated but I
took the courses and low and behold I liked them and I was good at
them! So I took off from there and I have been a practicing small
animal veterinarian for over 8 years now. I still love literature and
the English language but my career as a veterinarian is really where I
belong.
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A: FROM MENTOR MARSHA SEGEBARTH IN INDIANA
During high school I realized that I enjoyed science courses (especially biology) more than I did history, social studies, etc. However, I did not at that point know exactly what I wanted to do. I began college as a biology major. My second semester I switched to business - and realized I really missed the laboratory experiences of science. The third semester I switched back to science and earned a B.S. in biology followed by a Master's degree in science. I don't believe it is as important to realize EXACTLY what you want to major in when you begin as much as it is important to realize what broader area you want to concentrate on. A biology emphasis can lead to pre-med, pharmacy, veterinary science, nursing, medical technology, even science teaching. The most important part of it all is to not lose too many credits by switching major areas too many times.
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A: FROM MENTOR REGINA SIZEMORE IN KY
While I was in high school, I had a weak background in science but
since I was a small child, I have always loved science. When I entered
college, I decided to major in biology. When I entered undergraduate school,
there was not the procedure of having an advisor to approve all your course
selections ( this is presently in place with all colleges). I started my
undergraduate career knowing that I wanted to major in biology, I used the
college's course book and made sure I followed the requirements for a
biology degree.
I was not sure what I wanted to do with the degree but I knew I wanted to do
something in the field of science.
It was not until 12 years later that I returned to get a masters in
secondary education and decided that I wanted to teach at the high school
level. Teaching has become another passion of mine and I am continuing to
take content courses with the possibility of teaching at the post-secondary
level. My path has taken several different routes but my commitment and love
for science has kept me focused on what I am doing .
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A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON IN IL
I started my first year of college, certain that I wanted to teach young
children. I love kids. I attended 2 years of college at a junior college. My
second two years were at a 4-year state college. The first two years of
college, I took the prerequisites for an Education degree. I observed teachers
weekly one semester. I earned an Associates Degree in Education.

The summer of my second year, I was a park leader and organized activities for
children. I went to one park in the morning and another in the afternoon. The
morning park attracted children of all ages, including teenagers who were not
really eligible for the program as they were over 16. The dilemna was that if
we didn't allow them to participate, they would stick around and just cause
problems. If we DID allow them to participate and asked them to help us in some
way, they usually were somewhat helpful and enjoyed themselves. Sometimes, they
slipped up and acted out. One time, the older kids brought home-made bombs made
out of bottles with gasoline and a rag. It blew up close to me. I ordered them
out of the park. In the afternoon, we were at a park where the kids were a
little more tame. Everything went as planned there. I was bored STIFF! The
morning was alot of disciplining and the afternoon was boring!

So, I determined that teaching was not for me. It was too structured to really
enjoy the kids and it involved too much discipline. I had taken one programming
class in my second year and really enjoyed it. My teacher had told me that
women were far and few between in the programming fields and that I should
consider going into it. I had blown off his suggestion at the time. But, after
that hellacious summer, I decided to try it out.

I had already been accepted to the college of Arts and Sciences. I changed my
major the day I met with my counselor. Luckily, at this college, the Computer
Science Degree was in the same college as the Education degree. The next two
years were pretty hard because I had to take the prerequisites and lower level
computer science classes AND tbe upper level classes (more advanced) at the same
time. I got a D in my first class that combined two classes into one. I retook
it the following summer and got an A. So, things didn't go really smoothly. It
was tough, but I really enjoy my classes.

Two of my sisters are teachers and I really enjoy hearing their stories and
sometimes I still wish I could teach. But, I think I chose the career for me.
I do think that I may change my career again, especially now that the IT field
is saturated. I would like to do something more service-oriented that more
directly helps people. I still have to figure out what that is.
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A: FROM MENTOR SALLY RAMSDELL IN KY
My plan to become a geologist was developed in elementary school when my
father would bring interesting rocks back from his travels as a range
conservationist with the Bureau of Land Management. I entered college as a
geology major but dropped out to start a family.

I did take geology classes part time after the birth of my first child, but
moving to follow my husband's education and career put my professional
development on the back burner as two more children required my attention.
Several years later I went to work for a partnership with a geologist and
civil engineer and found that my interest in geology had waned since I was
not as interested in coal or petroleum but had my eyes opened to the
importance of geotechnical engineering in construction. I went back to
school as an engineering major and found that there was a real need for
expertise in concrete technology in my work. Most of the specific knowledge
I gained was from experience, self study, and short courses and seminars. I
find it important to follow your interests wherever they lead. I was
honored to be one of the first women chosen as a Fellow of the American
Concrete Institute.