Re-entering academia as a more seasoned, nontraditional student with a background in finance, I knew that I wanted to change course and pursue a scientific career—but materials science and engineering was not on my radar.

As a female student, I struggled to decide if engineering was the right path for me. But after visiting an engineering professor at Boise State University (BSU) and discovering what a materials science and engineering degree offers in terms of interdisciplinary opportunities, I decided to take a fork in the road—I enthusiastically embraced materials science and engineering as my career choice.