Introduction

Do I even know what I signed up for? Cellular biologists have been making forward steps
in our general understanding of life and humanity for decades. They are at a point where it seems
like everything that could be understood about what makes life unique or quite unified can be
probed and found. Now I seek to join this world of genetic research. This kind of research has
been used to save and impact millions of lives. Cellular and molecular biologist are fueled by
their natural curiosity; therefore they invest years of their lives to research and to attain degrees
that may not be easily applied to the workforce. In an interview with Teryn Romaine, a high
school biology teacher, she talks about how highly competitive the marine biology field is.
Having such a specific degree narrows the job choices that one may have in the future. Though
unspecified research may not always lead into a career, either. As a result students just continue
on to get their masters, doctorates and even post-docs without ever settling into specific career.
Something about the idea of biology and being impactful sparked my interest as a senior
in high school; however it will take more than just a spark to get me through four years of
intensive education or prepare me for the workforce. So truly, this investigation was all about
knowing how to take advantage of the next four year. My goal is to bring clarity to what it means
to live in the major. Just as scientists are well know for their clarity and exactness I want to
formulate the answer to my questions with that same clarity and exactness. The scientific
community is able to communicate their ideas to one another in such a way that everyone knows
what their intentions and purpose; I intend to imitate a scientists ability to evoke such in this
paper. In the end I will know what measures I must take in the next four years to be not only
successful, but be prepared to make an impact in the the field of molecular biology.
Methods

With a topic as convoluted as this, typing what do I need to do to be a successful

molecular or cellular biologist in four plus years and what jobs will be available for me? into
the Google search box is essentially useless. In previous years the research questions I had were
much more concrete: one clear question equated to one clear answer. However my question is
not that simple because opportunities and interest change daily, while differing personalities and
abilities close and open doors for individuals. For instance, if I had been born fifty years earlier I
could have been apart of the Human Genome Project. Though thirteen years after the success of
one the greatest genetic projects in history, I sit before a laptop screen trying to figure what is it I
could put into the Google search engine.
I started my research by putting molecular biology and careers into an academic
database that ended with a plethora of sources I could look into. It was exciting, though from
there a decision had to be made. Some of these sources gave personal stories that described the
success of men and women in the biological field. From gathering them I could draw out the
similarities and differences between their processes and current or final situations. Another
choice was to go through the more general articles that included molecular biology as a
subsection, and/or indirectly spoke about the path to a career as a scientist. The final category
included sources that did not truly answer my question, but provided information that would help
me understand the scientific field in ways I could not have imagined. I decided to be impulsive
and include all types of sources; I ended up with twenty-three sources when ten was all that was
necessary.
After finding the pool of sources in which I would draw only ten from, it was time to
proceed to the interview phase of investigation. The first interview helped to solidify my
questions and what I truly wanted to get from the investigation. From there it was clear that I

should use sources that gave me a spectrum of possibilities on what I should do now and what
could be offered to me in the future. This catalyst interview was held with Natalia Westervelt, a
molecular biology Ph. D student here at Florida State University. She received both her masters
and bachelors degree in Biology in Germany. Today she is a student, teachers assistant and
researcher of X-chromosomes gene inactivation under Dr. Brian Chadwick, my third
interviewee. In this face to face interview I asked her six questions: How is life as a graduate
student, how did you prepare for graduate school?/ what are your recommendations for students
who want to got to graduate school for biology, what are some things you thought were
unhelpful to furthering your progress, and lastly how does the future look in your opinion?
The second interview I did was done through email with my 11th-12th grade Biology
teacher. Since I had little knowledge about her background I first asked her what were your
majors in and if you wrote (a) thesis(') what were they about? then proceeded with the rest of
the online interview. These questions were then asked: What did you do in your undergraduate
years that prepared you for graduate school, what are some things you wish you took advantage
of that you think would have better prepared you for graduate school and your career, why do
you think other people in this career track end up unsuccessful/successful, what are some things,
besides the unrelated courses, that you think were unhelpful to furthering your education, and
lastly, do you think it was all worth it?
Finally there was the last interview that was held with Dr. Brian Chadwick. He did his
undergraduate and graduate degrees in England. His Ph. D in sciences was completed at
University College London. Currently he does research and teaches upper level biology courses
at Florida State. At the interview I asked the following questions: How is life as a professor, how
did you prepare for graduate school?/ What are your recommendations for students who want to

got to graduate school for biology? What were some things you thought were unhelpful to
furthering your progress? What are possible routes for biology majors?
After these interviews I looked over my sources once more and chose the ones that truly
answered questions I had, or felt beneficial to my understanding of the field.
Result
First and foremost, although each interviewee and source had its own backstory they
were all inspiring and reassuring. Just like in actual experiment this process should be intensive,
and the outcome unknown. In life its easier to say things and have dreams, but achieving them or
loving the outcome can be tricky. The interviewees and people from the sources got to their
current states by investing themselves in things that helped them better understanding of
themselves. With each interview all my questions were answered with more depth than I could
have ever asked for. On the other hand, the sources were able to introduce entirely new concepts
that I feel as though I should consider.
When I asked about how life was as Natalia Westervelt was able to express the benefits of
our Florida State program in comparison to her studies in Germany. I should take advantage of
the fact that our school has a strong sense of guidance and mentorship. The interview was
interesting because she is an international student, however since I am starting off here in
America some of the things she said did not crossover well. For instance she had to work really
hard to make sure that her internships and volunteering were diverse and well worth her time so
the she could get into a good doctorate program in America. Though no matter what, it is
important to have that because it helps make you more appealing as an applicant to these
programs. The biggest take away from this interview that was more reassuring than anything else

was when I asked her why does she think that people leave the biology program. It was
reassuring to know that people who are committed do endure the programs.
When I interviewed Teryn Romaine I realized that she was a unique case that felt
irrelevant to my current state. When I asked her what are some things you wish you took
advantage of that you think would have better prepared you for graduate school and your career
she explained that she transferred schools every few years due to her husbands job that ended up
causing her to take longer to finish. When I asked her what things does she think slowed down
her success other than moving around so often, she, unlike Westervelt, said that the
extracurricular courses were not an impediment. As seen in class with her the past two years
those classes opened up interests that she has to this day that help her relate to her students.
While I don't plan on getting married or transferring any time soon she helped me realize the
necessity in a positive outlook and flexibility. Even though she was not able to get into marine
biology she discovered the career that was best for her
My final interview was with Brian Chadwick. Both Chadwick and Westervelt point out
that getting lab experience is really important to furthering your path. It opens up more doors.
Life in the major is more about self-discovery more than anything else. Chadwick was definitely
able to better express life after the major. Since his undergraduate and graduate years have been
completed when I asked about tips for students like me he was able to provide different kinds of
path. At one point he says sometimes getting a Ph. D is bad because it narrows the possible jobs
you can apply for. This really opened my eyes because it is not necessarily about getting a
doctorate degree rather than finding a suitable career path. For him specializing early (since in
England you specialize in education after 16) was good, but since I did not get that option I
should just take advantage of all the exploration I can in the next four years.

Having gone through the interviews I went back to my sources and looked into things
that I was not able to get from the interviews. A major concern is that all the experience that I
have will not land me any jobs; In Caspar Chater* and Julie Grays New Phytologist next
generation scientists the mention the importance of the creation of work for early career
researchers, as I will be after I graduate. The interview with Chadwick reminds me most of this
source because he provided an idea for several jobs in the field. I had never thought of phytology
has a possible career path, but now I do.
Conclusion
Altogether I learned that it is important to be flexible while making sure I stay active
within the biology community. The consensus from the interviewees and sources was to try to
get as much experience as possible so that I am sure about my interest. It takes experience to
discover passion.

I wanted to know what to prepare for and how to prepare for it. So while I

seek out different sources of experience I will also try to keep a positive outlook on life. Dr.
Chadwick also swayed me to consider just going for my masters degree, for now, and continue if
I feel it is most appropriate for the things I decide to do. Lastly I realized that there will be more
questions to ponder and research which will mean more opportunities for me in the future. The
sources I had originally may not have directly answered the question that I had they definitely
inspired different ideas. In all, I have a clearer view of what I should be doing these next four
years.

Cited Sources
Chadwick, Brian. (2016, September 19). Personal interview.
Chater, C., & Gray, J. (2014). New Phytologist next generation scientists. New Phytologist,
204(4), 736-737. doi:10.1111/nph.13142
Romaine, Teryn. (2016, September 12). Email interview.
Westervelt, Natalia. (2016, September 12) Personal interview