Jim Schwoebel by Stories in Science

I have a language disability and a fine motor skill deficit. As a child, I would try not to speak up in class or speak too loudly because I was afraid I would misspeak. I knew what I wanted to say in my head, but it didn’t come out the same way.

I’ve wanted desperately from early on to have a straightforward path. I imagined that everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing professionally, and that they were surely great at it. Everyone but me. I always thought that I needed to perform better, so that I might live up to where they were and still “stay in the race.” Music: https://www.bensound.com

I have known I wanted to be a scientist since I was a kid. My earliest memory of wanting to be a scientist was 7 years old. Science was my favorite class and I thought it was cool. My mom told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be, and that if I wanted to be a scientist, then I would be one. Three years later, my mom passed suddenly from a brain aneurism. Scientists come from everywhere, but not many came from my Shaw neighborhood in Washington, D.C. in the 80s. It is a beautiful neighborhood, but in those days, it was infested with drugs and violence. The odds of a black kid raised by a single dad in the middle of a crime-infested neighborhood becoming a competitive scientist were not great. Fortunately for me, I never knew that. Story Read by Fanuel Muindi. Background music from www.bensound.com

Davin Shepherd is the father of Amoy Antunet who is a second-grader from Atlanta, Georgia. Amoy is passionate about science, and with the help of her father, she makes videos on several neuroscience related topics and posts them to her Facebook page, Science For Children. Below, Mr. Shepherd shares his perspective as a father who is witnessing his daughter’s exploration and discovery of neuroscience. The story is read by Fanuel Muindi.

My story is the embodiment of taking perseverance and turning it into passion. What is perseverance? Perseverance is steadfastness in doing something despite the difficulty. To persevere is to persist in a state or undertaking in spite of counter-influences, opposition or discouragement. In my life, perseverance is growing up in the inner city of Flint, Michigan. Gangs, violence, and drugs were a part of everyday life. Recorded by John Kiriakou, Host of Loud & Clear on 105.5 FM & 1390 AM in Washington DC.

Picture it. 1996. I was working as an admin at a research center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to being the coffee-maker extraordinaire, I autoclaved agar, washed Erlenmeyer flasks, and I ordered lab supplies. Listen for more!

For some, the line from point A to point B is fairly straight. For others, it’s a zig-zag. I am definitely a zig-zagger. I didn’t find an easy, straightforward path into becoming a bioarchaeologist. To be honest, I don’t think any “easy” path in any career actually exists. Nor should there be one. Every mistake, rejection, challenge, and disappointment we face offers us teaching moments that we need to learn to recognize. More importantly, we need to learn how to use them to better ourselves.

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were 12? I sure do! Well, I recently asked my Little what he wanted to be when he grew up. I can’t believe two years have already passed since I was matched with him. He has grown so much since we met. Before I tell you what he said, let me take you back two years. You see, it has been two years since I became Juan Carlos’ big brother (hence he is my Little) through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay.

It was around 8th grade that my own personal video game boss blocked my progression. I was struggling in an earth science class and failing to reach the high standards I had set for myself. It wasn’t long before I was questioning myself – “Am I actually smart enough to become a scientist?”