After being named to the ASCP 40 Under Forty list, I also received the Pathology Ambassador Award from ASCP for the work that I’m engaged in with regards to exposing the younger generation to the field of pathology and pathology-related occupations, such as histotechnicians, histotechnologist, and pathologists’ assistants. We have hosted students from underserved areas at the UC Davis medical campus for lectures, activities, and tours, and organized campus tours for the undergraduate campus at UC Davis. I have also given talks about pathology at a number of high schools in Tulare and Kings County, CA. I received the Outstanding Industry Partner in Education award from the Visalia Partners in Education Committee for my contributions to the education of high school students in the Health Academy Pathway at Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia, CA. This year we completed the first Functional Human Anatomy Bootcamp designed for incoming Freshman high school students interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

Lessons learned

Although I’m quite early in my career since being named a 40 Under Forty, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to pursue your passion, no matter how out of the box or atypical, it may seem. Because of my experiences in my journey to pathology, my total lack of awareness of the extraordinary work that pathologists routinely engage in, and the lack of resources I was faced with in my journey to pursue pathology, I’ve made it my mission to provide resources, opportunities, and exposure to students way before they even enter medical school, so they can be informed about pathology as a career in medicine, should they choose to pursue it. The second, equally important lesson I’ve learned, is that you have to believe in yourself, have confidence in yourself. Only then will you be able to take the first steps on the journey to pursuing your passion. Just as in skateboarding, you need to just pop.