I'll start out by saying this: I love science.

Ever since my basic biology course my freshman year of high school, I have had a passion for anything related to science. I'm a naturally curious person, and with science, there are still processes we don't understand, mechanisms that still need to be worked out. Now, I'm in my sophomore year as a biology major and computational science minor at PLNU. My current career aspiration is to research infectious diseases and the immune system. For me, my vocation is working in the lab.

But, there are still members of society who think my place is in the kitchen. They believe my sole vocation in life is to get married and produce children. That my sole purpose on this earth is to "be a good wife" and host dinner parties. Sounds like something out of the 1950s, right? Wrong.

Women are still vastly under-represented in the scientific community. Some people think that a career in science would be "too hard" or "too draining" for a woman. However, I strongly disagree. By saying women shouldn't pursue science is essentially eliminating half the minds of our world.

I was lucky enough to grow up with two parents who believed I could do anything I set my mind to. I was fortunate enough to receive a public education, and take science classes in high school. Without the opportunity to take these classes, I probably would have never discovered my passion for biology. I am blessed to go to a university with a prestigious science department which offers phenomenal faculty, hours of laboratory experience, and opportunities to do research with professors.

Now, I'm not saying pursing a career in the science field is easy. In fact, being a biology major is one of the most rigorous, time-consuming majors out there. I basically did not have a life last semester because I had to figure out how to conquer Organic Chemistry without having a mental breakdown every lecture. As I sit in a coffee shop writing this, in the back of my mind are research articles I have to read, lab techniques I need to be familiar with before Tuesday, and the looming doom of studying for a statistics test for my computational science minor.

All that being said, nothing can change my passion for science. No societal gender norms will stop me. Stepping into a male-dominated research field will not intimidate me. People who tell me I have to choose between a career or a family will not discourage me.

I'm a proud, self-proclaimed biology nerd. I'm someone who loves being in the lab. I love trying to understand the very concepts and mechanisms that are not understood. My gender is a secondary factor.

I'm a woman, I love science, and I'm here to stay.

#cantstopmecauseimlikeaphosphorylationcascade