Blogs

This blog joins others in Eye on CDI that feature the career paths of individuals who started in toxicology as students in the SOT Undergraduate Diversity Program and are now in the scientific workforce. This blog was authored by LaShonda Berry Bunch and I am pleased to share this message on her behalf.

I am a new employee at the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and, boy, do I have a story about how I got here! 

In 2009, while I was earning my bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science from Winston-Salem State University, I was afforded the esteemed privilege of attending the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo held in Baltimore, Maryland, [as an SOT Undergraduate Diversity Program Student Travel Award recipient]. Before this opportunity, I had never traveled on a plane, and I had no clear direction on what I wanted the future of my career to look like. I knew that I wanted to help people, and although I saved lives every day by working as a Medical Technologist at the county hospital, I wanted to touch more lives on a larger scale.

At the SOT meeting, as part of the Undergraduate Diversity Program, I was matched with a wonderful mentor who was employed by the US EPA, and I can honestly say that our encounter changed the course of my life in such a positive way. Upon meeting Erin Hines, she could see the fear in my eyes about traveling by plane, and she comforted me in such a motherly way. She nurtured me and gave me the assurances I needed that everything would be OK. Not only that, but Erin talked with me in depth about her role at the US EPA, the good work that the US EPA executed, and the benefits of working with the US EPA. While attending the conference, I also had the chance to attend various scientific presentations and view all the different projects submitted by SOT members. This moment was truly life changing, and Erin was there with me for every step of that meeting. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to work for the US EPA, I just did not know how to get there.

Attending the SOT Annual Meeting motivated me to seek more education. I eventually obtained a master’s degree in pharmacology and toxicology with a concentration in toxicology from Michigan State University. I’m also currently receiving my second master’s degree in cosmetic science from the University of Cincinnati.

After a few life challenges, 14 years after my Undergraduate Diversity Program experience, I’m proud to say that I am a Quality Assurance Manager of the Health & Environmental Effects Assessment Division for the US EPA!

I remained in contact with Erin ever since we met (through my many life challenges and all), and I was so excited to reunite with her IN PERSON after so many years. She continued to keep me encouraged to stay the course and work hard, and I’d certainly achieve my goals. I’m so blessed to have met such a wonderful person, and I feel obliged to share my story with anyone who will listen. Erin gave me a small glimpse into the wonderful world of the US EPA so long ago, and I am thrilled to say the seeds that she planted 14 years ago have blossomed beautifully. I hope that one day, I can be a beacon of light in someone else’s life, like Erin has been in mine.

Thank you for taking the time to briefly read about my journey to the US EPA, and I am thrilled to have met my goal to help change the world on a larger scale. My work is not done, though; it’s only the beginning!

#Communique:SOTNews