By Leah Hromalik Lyric McCullouch encourages students who are interested in science to ask around for opportunities. An opportunity does not always have to be in your exact field of interest to be valuable. A position, class, volunteer project, or lab experience in a related area can help you gain skills and discover new interests.
For example, a student who wants to study fish may find an opportunity working with amphibians, plants, insects, or water-quality samples. At first, that may not seem like the perfect match. However, the experience could teach important skills such as using laboratory equipment, following safety procedures, collecting data, caring for organisms, or communicating results. These skills can be useful in many scientific careers.
Science is often connected across fields. Genomics can relate to biology, ecology, conservation, medicine, chemistry, technology, and mathematics. Studying one kind of organism can lead to questions about its habitat, its genes, its food sources, or its relationship to other species. Because of these connections, experience in one area may open doors to another.
Lyric’s career path is a great example of following curiosity. They started in art, discovered an interest in genomics and fish, gained experience in several labs, and became a lab technician. Their story shows that students do not need to have every step planned before they begin.
Students can start by asking teachers, counselors, museum staff, researchers, or local organizations about opportunities. Reading science articles, visiting nature centers, and learning about different careers can also help. By staying curious and being open to new experiences, students can find paths that combine many interests in surprising ways.
