It’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do, or to change it up later. I think some kids feel so much pressure, they feel like they have to choose something they end up not liking. It's important to remember that you can always pivot at any point, at any age. If you don't like it, go do something else. You might be surprised by how many skills you learn in one area of science can help get you started in another one.

You're going to struggle sometimes—with the courses, with the hours, with your colleagues—but you will either learn from those struggles or get through them. The best way to get through them is to surround yourself with good mentors that are willing to help you with your career. Join employee resource groups that focus on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. You never know where you will find your next mentor.

STEM fields can be fun to work in because every day is a new challenge and it doesn't get boring. Plus the work you do can have a real impact on people's lives. Don't listen to people who say you have to go to school for almost ten years to get a PhD to succeed in STEM (unless you want to do that!). Lots of people, like me, have been successful choosing a different path.