©Kathleen Hatch and LabMom.net, 2021.

Starting Out

I was born in rural New England surrounded by pine forest and plenty of wildlife. The mountains and cold, clear lakes provided an enchanting backdrop to my childhood. However, as I grew into adulthood, I felt cramped and secluded. I loved school and science and I knew there was much more to see and learn than what my little home town could offer.

College

After completing a bachelor’s degree in biology, I searched for a graduate degree program. Neither of my parents had attended graduate school. My mother had only a secretarial degree from a junior college, but for some reason I felt I had not completed my education yet. Initially, my sights were set on veterinary school, but that didn’t quite work out. After failing to gain entrance to any of the schools I applied to, I finally took a closer look at the curriculum of veterinary programs. I was heartbroken to discovered the course of study looked nothing like the stories in James Herriot’s, All Creatures Great and Small. In fact, it would be years before I could touch a cow or a cat. My enthusiasm for veterinary school rapidly waned.

Next Steps

After several days of moping around my mother’s basement, I came to realize the classes I most enjoyed from college were those in ecology. I decided to focus on that line of education, with the ultimate goal of becoming a college science teacher. In my search for a veterinary school, I had come across a University in Missouri. The school was a 24 hour car trip from my home on the east coast, but it was large, located in a cute and affordable city, and offered a variety of degree programs. Not knowing exactly what to study, or precisely how to gain entrance into graduate school, I moved to Missouri, got a job, and would figure out the rest as I went.