I started out in college majoring in Biology. It wasn’t until I was finishing my Associate’s degree that I gave up science. I had just gone through a divorce and was raising two children on my own, with little to no financial assistance from the ex. My dream of moving to California to finish a degree in Marine Biology was crushed by the reality of single parent poverty. Looking back, I wonder if there had been someone in my life at that time to provide a little encouragement, would I have continued a degree in a different area of Biology? Instead, I walked away completely from science, beginning new majors in History and Spanish.
Many years have passed. In what I believe is a bit of good karma, I find myself working temporarily in the college’s Biology department where I once worked years ago as a student. With the Department’s support, I was able to achieve something amazing this past year. Together, we collaborated with Western New Mexico University to create a new transfer pathway for our Biotechnology students. Starting this fall, 24 students will begin Bachelors degrees in Cell and Molecular Biology right here on our community college campus. The degree is a highly innovative, collaborative, affordable and rigorous program that I am proud to have helped shape. Best of all, I believe this program brings opportunity for students who might be struggling like I did all those years ago. Having a good quality pathway on campus that is accessible and affordable will make it easier for students who need a little encouragement to follow their dreams in science. It completes a circle for me too. I finally did get my degree in Biology, after all.
Applications are now being accepted for 24 students to begin this fall! For more information on the new degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, visit this link: http://natsci.wnmu.edu/glendale/
The STEAM HUB 