In this episode, I speak with Janae Carrothers, MESA Program Director at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington. MESA stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, and is an academic preparation program that supports pre-college, community college, and university-level students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Janae has a BS in biology education and an MS in zoology, both from Washington State University, Pullman. Growing up “in the woods” in rural Washington, Janae wanted to become a field biologist like Dian Fossey or Jane Goodall. However, once in college, circumstances and personal interest nudged her towards science education, which became her primary focus following her experience as a teaching assistant in graduate school. We’ll hear about these formative events and of course find out about what her job is like.