Looking back, failing biology my first year of college was the best thing that happened to my science career. It was a rude awakening when that first exam came back marked with a big red “D”. It was even more upsetting when the second and third exams followed, because it meant my failure was statistically significant. Yet it was only after I failed that I realized how much I really wanted to be part of the scientific community – and how hard I would have to work to achieve that goal. The following semester, I took retakes in biology and passed with flying colors. I continued to teach this same course a few years later. Ultimately, it was this experience of failure that led me to pursue higher education. If my abilities had not been questioned, I would not have felt the need to prove myself as a biologist. This experience motivated me to pursue the diverse research and mentorship opportunities that have become an integral part of who I am as a scientist today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay I have conducted research in two languages, two countries, and across a variety of biological disciplines. I have collaborated with scientists from countries around the world, including Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, England, Morocco and the United States. I am equally comfortable performing a Western Blot as I am dissecting the olfactory bulbs of creek minnows (Semotilus atromaculatus). I have worked, to some extent, with many common model organisms used in the biological sciences, including D. melanogaster, D. rerio, S. aureus, S. pombe, and S. cerevisiae. All of these experiences shaped me as a biologist. They have provided me with a unique set of skills and knowledge that allows me to approach biological questions from the perspectives of many disciplines. As an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, I participated in a two-year research program integrating hands-on research with courses in bioinformatics and scientific rhetoric. During the summer term, I worked within a cohort of students to test the fear response of S. atromaculatus to various chemical stressors under the supervision of Dr. David Lonzarich. The following fall semester, I learned how to analyze this data in coding. 'R' program during a bioinformatics/biostatistics course. That spring, I enrolled in a science writing class where I wrote a fake NSF grant proposal for research I had conducted. I also presented this research at the UW-Eau Claire Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity (CERCA). This research program was my first taste of the scientific process and I loved it. After my program ended, I was hungry for more scientific research and quickly obtained a research grant. In the spring of my junior year in college, I was accepted into the international scholarship program offered by UW-Eau Claire. As an international fellow, I spent the following summer in the Galapagos Islands working, in Spanish, with scientists from around the world at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). During my time at CDRS, I worked simultaneously on two projects concerning the control of an invasive parasitic fly species, Philornis downsi, and the conservation and management of endemic bird species affected by this parasite. As part of these projects, I was responsible for monitoring thenests of the Galapagos Flycatcher (M. magnirostris) as well as monitoring the reproduction of the Vermilion Flycatcher (P. rubinus). Additionally, I was responsible for collecting and rearing P. downsi in a collaboration with the Heimpel Lab at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The most rewarding part of these projects has been the community outreach. Along with other members of my team, I spent time with local schoolchildren teaching them about our project, in Spanish, and expressing the importance of taking an active role in the conservation of endemic species. After my fellowship ended, I returned to UW-Eau Claire for my senior year of college. It was during this year that I finally conducted research in an area that I felt revealed my strengths as a scientist. Working under the direction of Dr. Daniel Herman, I used microbiology and molecular biology to study the prevalence of two Staphylococcus species, S. succinus and S. equorum, in nasal swab isolates collected from hospitals and communities from Ecuador. I honed my skills on the bench in the Herman lab, becoming proficient in a number of molecular techniques. I presented this research at the annual CERCA, as I had in previous years, and appreciated the opportunity to discuss my research with my peers and the public. My time in the Herman lab, although short, sparked my interest in molecular biology. During my first year of graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, I began an 8-week rotation in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Benanti whose broad focus was cell cycle regulation. eukaryotic. Eight weeks quickly expanded to four months and four months quickly turned into a permanent position. My initial rotation project evolved into a full-fledged plan for my dissertation research aimed at understanding molecular crosstalk between stress-activated signaling pathways in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After less than a year at the Benanti Lab, I presented my research at the 23rd Annual UMass Research Retreat held at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where I discussed my project with faculty from diverse biological backgrounds. experience, my goal of becoming an educator motivated me to seek out-of-school teaching opportunities that validated my talent and passion for education. I began teaching introductory biology and chemistry classes during my sophomore year of college at UW-Eau Claire and quickly realized how much joy it brought me . It was amazing to see students have that “light bulb” moment after I explained a difficult concept in simple, simple terms. The students I worked with were remarkable. They came to me having difficulty following the course material and at the end of the semester, they were at the top of their class. Over the next few years, I saw two of my students become tutors themselves and they told me that my role in their education inspired them to do so. Although I loved tutoring, many of these sessions were one-on-one and I was struck by the fact that I was not helping as many students as possible. So I looked for additional mentoring opportunities within my university. I began volunteering as a supplemental academic assistant for various biology labs offered by UW-Eau Claire. My role was to facilitate student learning and act as another resource in addition to the faculty who ran the lab. I loved answering students' questions, but I wanted.