I am what they have termed a “non-traditional student” due to the fact I took the long road to complete my education. I set off to college after my senior year of high school, as I was taught is the natural next step. Honestly, I was really there to play soccer and wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to pursue. I had always wanted to go into medicine, but I knew I was not ready for that. Shortly after starting my sophomore year, I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter, Giana. Naturally, this altered the path I was on. I stuck with school for a bit and began working as a restaurant server. Ultimately, I made the decision to focus on work and my daughter, putting my education on the back burner. When Giana was in the fifth grade, I reenrolled at a university and began my pursuit of becoming a physician. I was mentally and financially more prepared for the demands of a pre-medical program. Initially, I declared a Biomedical Science major with an Anthropology and Chemistry minor. I genuinely enjoyed my courses and was excelling, especially in Anatomy and Physiology. As I worked closer with the faculty, I learned that most of them held a Ph.D. in Anthropology. I was thrilled to discover a way to combine my love for both Anthropology and the Biomedical Sciences. I decided to add Anthropology as a second bachelor’s degree rather than a minor. It was during a bioarcheological dig in Ukraine that I decided to fully commit to a path geared towards Anthropology and decline my medical school acceptance. In the fall of 2020, my long-term boyfriend and I moved to Missoula, Montana, so I could begin a Master of Arts program. There, I had an instructor, Dr. Katie Baca, who is also a Funeral Director. Shortly after receiving my M.A., she informed me of an opening on the removal staff with the funeral homes of Missoula. This opportunity came at a perfect time. I had fallen in love with the area and agreed to remain at the University of Montana to complete my Ph.D. and teach Anatomy and Physiology. I recall during Samm Powers MFDA’s Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship Winner my interview, the manager, Tyson Moore, informed me of the path to becoming a funeral director and the many opportunities and growth within the field. I thanked him for the information and chuckled to myself, thinking I had changed my path enough times and, after all, becoming a funeral director was my sister’s passion. I was grateful for the employment and the flexibility it provided. Intending my new position to simply be just that, a flexible job during grad school. I quickly realized that the funeral industry just felt like the right fit. I knew there were Mortuary Science programs available online and began considering enrolling along with my Ph.D. I knew the combination of this dual enrollment would be challenging. Still, I couldn’t imagine not pursuing a career in the funeral industry. I discussed these plans with family members, including my sister. She found it humorous that she was in nursing school, and I was considering enrolling in a Mortuary Science program. I believe her exact words were, “Why are you living my dream?” to which I replied, “Why aren’t you?” We are both currently enrolled in the online Mortuary Science program at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado. The challenges of teaching A&P labs at U of M, working on my Ph.D. in Forensic and Molecular Anthropology, Directors Digest | 15
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