For as long as I can remember, I planned out my life. Where I was going to go, what I was going to do, when I was going to do it, and how I was going to get there. About 4 years ago, I planned on majoring in Biology on the Pre-Medicine track at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. I was about to compete my first State Championship as a level 10 gymnast. However, in March 2020, I found myself at gymnastics practice packing up my stuff because the State Championship was canceled. I drove home understanding little about how much the nationwide shut down from the COVID-19 outbreak would affect my life.
Currently, I’m not on the Pre-Medicine Route, but I can happily say that I will become a Biologist in field research. Although my life took a different turn from what I planned almost 4 years ago, I am happy that I laid out a plan, so I had a general idea of what my goals were in the future. In this blog, I describe what my plans are for the next 5 years, how I plan on achieving these goals, and how I plan on succeeding once I get there.
Year 0: 2024
The end of spring and summer of 2024 is focusing on school, research, and staying in shape for gymnastics. I’m currently finishing my spring semester and preparing for my summer research. Dr. Jennifer Smith and I have been collaborating the past couple of months to set up plans for where Team Squirrel will stay in California during the summer. Once this semester is over, I will drive to California to spend time with family and friends. For the whole month of June, I will conduct summer research with Dr. Sonja Wild in the field and Dr. Jennifer Smith will advise me via zoom from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In the months of July and August, I will drive back to Wisconsin and analyze the data collected. I will practice gymnastics less often but will stay in shape for preseason by lifting.
In the Fall of 2024, I will continue school and gymnastics. My next two semesters will have a lighter class load because I have taken multiple classes my previous semesters. With more free time, I plan on focusing my time on research and gymnastics.
Year 1: 2025
January to March will be my last gymnastics season after a total of 17 years of gymnastics. Around this time, I will find a job to save money. I plan on attending multiple research conferences during the spring and summer. Throughout the year, I will work on my graduate school applications and emailing research professors.
Year 2: 2026
Once I get my graduate school decisions, I plan on applying to scholarships to fund my research. I also plan on continuing to work and save money for an apartment or small house in the graduate school area. In the fall, I will travel to the Graduate school I decide.
Year 3-5: 2027
My goal is to publish at least one research paper while in Graduate school. Once I graduate, I plan to use what I learned in graduate school to find a job and continue to explore the biogeochemistry of the environment through researching in the field.
Conclusion
My goal is to be a published researcher that looks at the Biogeochemistry of the environment and how it affects humans. Planning out how I will get there will allow me to know what to expect in the future.
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