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What you’ll hear in this episode:

• What it’s like to change educational directions to pursue a career in the biosciences
• The kinds of hands-on experiences ABI offers – and how they translate to the field
• Why a playful attitude is a great thing to have during your internships, and beyond

We may think we know what we want to do with our lives, but sometimes our passions end up leading us down a different path. Maybe you started out pursuing a career in business or computer programming, only to hear the siren song of the biosciences after taking a biology class or reading an article about how medicine is made using Chinese hamster ovary cells.

This was the situation Jolie Muren was faced with. She had started out on an educational path that she discovered just didn’t fit with her passions. Fortunately, in her research for next steps, she discovered ACC and its Bioscience Incubator (ABI).

Jolie started out in nursing, but it wasn’t long before she realized that the bedside care of patients interested her less than the science and problem-solving aspects of working in the medical field. Through her self-knowledge, she was able to redirect course and pursue a career that reflected her personality and drew on her strengths and passions.

Her internship at ABI gave her the opportunity to learn the processes and how to use the equipment in their labs, but also to do science instead of just reading about it in a textbook. This drive to learn through doing and experimentation is something that program director, Nancy Lyons, both supports and encourages in ABI interns.

And this variety of active learning experiences is exactly what sets ABI interns apart from regular bioscience program graduates. Their lab and equipment experience is not only deep, but also broad.

Liz Hampton came to ABI in an equally roundabout way. She’d started out her college career at another community college in Texas, but found herself frustrated with the lack of internship opportunities. After moving to Austin specifically because of its reputation as a biosciences hub, she ended up touring the ABI facility during an open house. She was sold. She applied for the internship as soon as the application window opened.

While at ABI, Liz, like Jolie, was able to experiment with and learn a wide range of tech, and she quickly took on a leadership role in the lab. Because of this experience, upon finishing her internship, she was hired by Nuclein to help set up their new lab.

Both Jolie and Liz started out on one path. One which might not have been well-suited to their individual interests and strengths. But because they were able to pivot, they both now have fulfilling careers in the biosciences, working at diagnostic companies, and loving what they do.

Their intrinsic perseverance and drive to solve any problem they come across were crucial ingredients for their success in the biosciences. These are the qualities that anyone hoping to go into the sciences should strive to cultivate. But they are only part of the recipe for success.

The other component was the education and hands-on experience they gained during their internships at ABI. They both credit their time at ABI with helping them not only prepare for the interview and get their jobs, but also for ensuring they had the tools they needed to do those jobs well.

While our best laid plans might not always come to pass, as long as you, like Jolie and Liz, are able to pivot in the direction of your passions, the dream career is out there waiting, with your name on it.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about ACC’s Bioscience Incubator, the work Jolie and Liz do at Angstrom Bio and Nuclein, advice for people wanting to break into the biosciences — even if you’re on another path.

Science In the Mall, Y’all is a founding_media podcast created in partnership with the ACC Bioscience Incubator.

Host: Dan Dillard, founding_media

Guests: Nancy Lyon, ACC Bioscience Incubator Director

Jolie Muren, Angstrom Bio

Liz Hampton, Nuclein