In the summer of 1999, I was awarded a summer research internship at a neuroscience lab at Washington State University. That summer, I lived with a Veterinary medicine student and a microbiology graduate who was starting medical school the following fall. It was one of the most formative periods of my life. For the first time, I felt like I was meeting my people. I remember once during weekly journal club, I asked a question, and the principal investigator looked at me and said, “Shawna, no one knows the answer to that! Perhaps you would like to spend the rest of your career finding out.” There we stood at the edge of knowledge; it was at that moment my soul knew I would become a scientist someday.
The next 24 years unfolded, and during that time I made countless responsible choices for my family’s benefit. Almost a quarter century later, I know I am late to the party -but here I am! To all of my colleagues who stand on the edge of knowledge daily and push forward, YOU are my people. It is one of my greatest joys in life to work with you!