I decided to study special education and fell in love with working with individuals with autism. That's what I planned to do with my life.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I went to school for special education. I always assumed when I had the opportunity I would love to try and help kids with disabilities.
I was going to be a teacher. I was applying to graduate school when I got the call to do 'Same Love,' actually. I was gonna go to Boston University for my masters in teaching.
There are a lot of new opportunities that are poking their head up in my future. I've been very fortunate that way, but for right now, what I like is what I'm doing.
I happen to be lucky in that I knew what I wanted to do as far as a career since I was nine years old.
I was always interested in working with people with disabilities, and in high school I worked with people who had Down Syndrome. That was for an agency called AHRC, Association for the Help of Retarded Children. Then I went to college, and throughout college I volunteered for AHRC.
I've always had a passion for technology, photography, startups, and connecting people. Bringing those aspects together made me successful.
I did get a degree in special education.
All my life, I just felt that I should have finished my education.
I fell in love with science and decided to continue for my Ph.D., and from there on, I was a scientist.
When I look back over my life it's almost as if there was a plan laid out for me - from the little girl who was so passionate about animals who longed to go to Africa and whose family couldn't afford to put her through college. Everyone laughed at my dreams. I was supposed to be a secretary in Bournemouth.