Could you tell us a little bit about your educational background?

I graduated from Baylor University in May 2022 with a BS in Mathematics and a minor in Biology. I was also a member of the Honors College at Baylor where I completed my undergraduate thesis on the regulation of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

What first got you interested in the healthcare field as a career choice? There are a lot of career options in the field -nursing, physician assistant, etc., what made you decide that genetic counseling was the right practice area/career choice for you?

I was inspired to go into the healthcare field after undergoing my own diagnostic journey with a rare disease. I was motivated by a desire to help others through the emotional aspects of a diagnosis and be a source of support to patients in times of uncertainty and confusion. When I discovered genetic counseling in my undergraduate genetics course, it felt like the perfect fit. Genetic counseling fully encapsulated all of the reasons I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare by combining the counseling aspect with the medical side.

What type of obstacles have you had to overcome on the road to getting your education and in particular in pursuing your Genetic Counseling degree?

My biggest obstacle in pursuing genetic counseling was finding resources and information. It was difficult at first not knowing anyone who had gone through the application process or who was interested in genetic counseling, but eventually, I was lucky enough to happen upon some wonderful support systems just by putting my interests out there in conversation with others.

What are you most looking forward to about beginning your Genetic Counseling studies?

I am most looking forward to engaging more with the genetic counseling community and seeing the different counseling styles of my peers and mentors. I am also looking forward to further developing my awareness of different rare diseases.

What is one fun and interesting fact about you?

I did competitive dance for 15 years.