My name is Victoria. I am 31, newly married, and currently in school for medical lab science, trying to build a more stable and fulfilling future for myself and my family. Outside of work I love to read; my genre of choice is fantasy. I am a non traditional student. It took me a while to go back to school because I wanted to be sure of my path. I have always known I want a career in healthcare, but it has taken some bouncing around to find the right fit for me. I have worked as a CNA, EMT, paramedic, pharmacy technician, and am currently a full time phlebotomist and lab assistant. I have finally found my healthcare niche in the lab, and am very excited to complete my schooling and become a Medical Lab Scientist. All of my patient care roles have been fulfilling and I’m privileged to have had those experiences, but I have come to realize that the science and diagnostic aspects of healthcare are what I love. Much of the testing done in clinical labs is now automated, but the microscopy, culturing, and just having a mystery I can help solve is so much fun! I’m a year into my program, and it’s a challenge that has reminded me why I wanted to go into healthcare to begin with. I can’t wait to be the part of the care team that finds crucial diagnostic answers for patients. Clinical lab science is definitely one of the less recognized fields in healthcare; we are not as advertised as nursing or radiology, and most high school students don’t ever hear of us as an option. I wish I’d known this was an option years ago. This is something I’d like to see change for my future field and I hope to be a part of that change. I have a lot of ideas, and would like to start an initiative at my hospital for getting our department involved in local science camps. My hope is this sort of outreach would catch on and help kids with a love for science find us. It would benefit people like me who are looking for a hands on STEM field in healthcare. It would also help the field of clinical lab science, which has been a little short staffed since COVID burnout brought on a wave of retirement. Ultimately more outreach initiatives will help patients, whose care teams rely on the biomedical testing we perform to diagnose them and offer the best available treatment and solutions. I can’t wait to graduate and continue in this fulfilling field where I know I am making a difference. Thank you.