My entire life I wanted to explore the ocean and the environment.  I have always had a great appreciation for the processes that are not completely understood and the unknowns that have yet to be discovered in the environment. At the beginning of my professional career in research, I worked as a naturalist on a whale watch boat and as a laboratory technician working on environmental cleanup projects such as water and land pollution. Then I moved into my dream job of being a research chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in marine & geochemistry where I was able to be in the foundation of the research community and learn from many amazing scientists & researchers who devoted their lives to exploring the mysteries of the environment as well as protecting the animals and organisms living in it.  For me, working as a student mentor with graduate and postgraduate students, made this experience one I will always cherish.  As a teacher, I want my students to be excited about what they are learning, and with my background in research, I will work extra hard to make sure that if there is an aspect of a topic that a student is interested in, I will make every effort to alter my lessons to include those topics.
     While I was working on my degree in molecular biology and biochemistry, I worked at a local hospital as an aid in the radiology department. This included pulling medical reports and handing x-ray images for the radiologist to view. In addition, I also worked in the admitting office and the emergency room registration department. This was an amazing four years, that provided me with valuable knowledge and experience into the complexities of the human body.