If I Could Write a Letter to Me

Dear younger me, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are going to decide to be a scientist.

  
It's okay. Let me explain.


Do you remember when you decided to really study science? It was during your food production and management classes in high school. You were going to be a pastry chef. I have proof.

Being artistic with food is fun eh? The things you could do with a little massive amount of butter and sugar were ASTOUNDING. Marzipan and food coloring? Yeah, I know! Don't even get me started on garnishes. But you have to choose between that and your love of chemistry. There just isn't enough time to take science and food classes your senior year. I understand. But know this: Curiosity will prevail.

 This is the year you will be introduced to organic chemistry and will love it. As the only IB chemistry student you will be given free reign in the class lab and attempt to make esters with very little supervision.

*This is also the time in your life where you become acutely aware of what those tiny hairs in your nose are for. Ya know, because you burn them out with 12M ammonia. Volatility really catches you off guard. You won't be able to smell or taste for two whole days woman! Fume hoods. Use them. You'll be surprised how many times the answer to your problems will be use a dang fume hood.

HEED THE SIGNS

Your science senses are just beginning to blossom! Did you know there is such a thing as Immunology? I jump ahead of myself- no need to excite you that much. Just know that studying the molecular mechanisms of diseases is even more fun than turning an apple into a swan with a paring knife.

You don't get a lot of crap in high school when you make this decision. Most people think you are crazy but they respect your love of the sciences. There will come a time when well meaning individuals will try and convince you that science isn't worth your time; especially because you are a girl. Some fake scientists will even try and extrapolate crappy data to say that the female brain just isn't wired to understand the sciences like the male brain. Not all scientists are socially sound my dear. By the time you hit your first job outside of college there will be roughly equal if not more women in your field.

But what I really want to tell you is to be more flexible and patient with yourself. Being a scientist is more about a way of thinking and being than a profession. Your raw talents are not best suited for being sequestered away at a wet bench with only your mice and cell cultures to keep you company. Please, don't fight this realization as much as I did. Your true joy comes from sharing the things that make you happy with the world. This includes science and, in turn, the gospel.  You will be so much happier as a teacher of science than you will be as a professional researcher. Honestly you will get the most opposition in your career decisions here at this point. It will come from your professors, your friends, your family (bless their hearts), and yourself. Learn to trust yourself Jennifer.

Hey, you'll survive. You're still here writing this letter to yourself seven years later. Your life is still unfolding and wonderful things happen. You should see your husband! HAHA just kidding. We haven't met him yet. That little tid-bit should ease some stressful times in college.

Now go share this with us from those middle school years. She really needs to hear this;especially because we don't get to read the Book of Mormon until 2003. And it does get better. It always gets better. Just never give up. You'll always be a scientist. You're just going to use your mad skills to teach these things to struggling students. Like that little girl from our middle school years. Because as you mature you will realize your talents were always with people. You believe in them and love them. And what better gift to give to people than the ability to discover things for themselves? 

 Look in the mirror and accept what you see. God does. I love you.

Your Most Magnificent Older Self

PS As an adult you will learn that the world's major problems are caused by a basic misunderstanding of statistics (and a lack of trust in God but the statistics problem was so unexpected!). Primarily replicates, significance, causation, and correlation. So, do me a huge favor and pay a little more attention in that independent study STATS class you will eventually take in college. Stats...is possibly more important than learning how to add. 

PPS There will be an instance in college where you overhear a young man science student tell a young woman science student that it doesn't matter what grade she gets in O-chem because she will have no use for it when she is a mom. She will be vulnerable because O-chem is hard and she is tired; she will start to believe him. Casually walk up to them and say to the young man that you must adamantly disagree. Then punch him right in his arrogant sexist face. This will be more effective if you work out more, but you would be surprised at what rage is capable of. Tell the girl to be a real woman and work as hard as she can for her education because EVERYTHING YOU LEARN WILL BENEFIT YOU AS A MOTHER! Obviously, this will bother you for a long time...and your eye still twitches when you are angry. Yeah, that doesn't go away.