Upon entering Winston Salem State University in 2012, I wasn’t exactly sure what career I wanted to pursue, but I knew I wanted to have a career in the medical field. The first two semester I spent my time in psychological and biological science classes, just the basics, to get a general idea about what I wanted to do exactly. After discovering that I definitely did not want to do psychology, I enrolled in more courses for biological science. After taking courses that were required for biology majors, I began to think, this is too broad, and I wanted to be in a program that was more specific, centered around one area. It wasn’t until my advising meeting for my sophomore year, that my advisor mentioned the Clinical Laboratory Science Program. He read over the requirements that I had satisfied and the ones I didn’t. I learned that most of the courses I had taken for the Biology degree, also satisfied those of the Clinical Laboratory Science program.

 

       In fall 2015, I was fully accepted into the Clinical Laboratory Science Program in hopes of pursuing a career as a medical laboratory technician. The first semester was tough, and unfortunately, I did not make it to the next phase of the program. So I wrote an appeal letter and was readmitted into the program. I studied hard and had to retake the courses I did not pass. I passed them and was transitioned into the next phase of the program. The second semester was even harder and with the long hours of studying I did not succeed. At that moment, I was feeling defeated. I felt like I let myself down, my family, and most importantly, my parents. Without a second thought, I was ready to withdraw from school, because for once in my life I had truly given up. After consulting with my mom and exploring new options, I decided to get back on track with Biology.

 

        In fall 2017, I was now back on the path of completion for a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology. This was the best decision that I have made since being in the Clinical Laboratory Science program. Just when I thought I couldn’t pursue a career in Clinical Laboratory Science, I learned that with this degree, I could still become a medical laboratory technician. Although, I’ve only been a Biology major for one semester, I have learned so much about the endless career opportunities. After graduation, I plan to enter the work field as a generalist in Clinical Laboratory Science and also pursue the career of a microbiologist. I am grateful for the Biological Science department here at Winston Salem State University and all of its wonderful faculty and staff and their cooperation with helping me and equipping me with all the knowledge I needed inside and outside of the classroom to be successful.