Changing Your Path

Transcript

It’s now my pleasure to introduce you to Jenny. Jenny’s path to The U was pretty unique and she is living proof that it’s never too late to do what you love. Unless of course, you’re one of the dinosaurs she’s studying. Jenny, tell us about where you came from and where you are going.

– Thanks Alex and hello everyone. I knew that when I was ready to take the leap and change my career, I wanted to go to the University of Utah. I went from a background in fashion design, product development and art to geology and research. Growing up as a Utah native, I’ve had the most beautiful geology right here in my backyard. Because the University of Utah is a research facility, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from world-class researchers who are doing groundbreaking research and are extremely active in their field. For example, I’ve worked on a Zeiss microscope to image allosaurus bones and study how they grow for the Natural History Museum, which is right here on campus. I also studied ancient Roman shipwreck cargo to identify the origin of deposits and did top secret work for the Department of Energy. And if I told you, well, you know the drill. At the University of Utah, I’ve had a variety of experiences, from whipping up some blender code at a department, coffee hour, sending it over to the Marriott library, to the 3D printing lab. And the next day I could be out on the great Salt Lake kayaking with my girlfriends. I’ve learned inclusion skills through volunteering in civil rights and social action groups like Urge, unlearning racism in the geo-science to improve accessibility, justice, equality, diversity and inclusion. And I’ve made meaningful career connections to the local chapter of AEG, the Association of Environmental Geologists. Undergraduate research and campus involvement has given back 10 times and has made me competitive in the job market and for grad school. That’s it from me, back to you, Alex.

– Fascinating stuff, Jenny. Your research sounds incredible and I’m blown away by your willingness to find a new passion and go all in. Thanks for teaching us about your experience, studying geology and geographic information science. It is fascinating work. Thanks again.