You’re probably wondering how Katelyn got here

Part 1

By Katelyn Laughon

Hello!

I’m Katelyn, I’m PhD candidate studying theoretical chemistry at Yale. My journey to become a theoretical chemist was shaped by major decisions and uncontrollable events. There are so many details and nuances to my story that I can’t possibly write them all here (they may appear in future articles, however!). If you’re interested in knowing more of my academic accomplishments, check out my LinkedIn. If you’re interested in hearing my story, read on!

But first, who may be interested in what I have to say? Those who -

-       want to know more about me.

-       are curious about chemistry and chemical engineering.

-       are interested about general expectations in undergraduate and graduate school.

-       are interested in community college.

-       are homeschoolers interested in pursuing science in college.

Let’s get started:

To really understand how I got here, we need to back to the B.C. (Before College) era. For most of gradeschool, I was homeschooled. There were multiple factors that led my parents to choose remove me and my siblings from private school, but in my case, the learning environment was not working (I had very poor phonics scores and struggled to communicate). Homeschooling began for me at 3rd grade, and continued all the way through highschool graduation. I learned to teach myself, use resources to answer questions, and to communicate when I needed help understanding the material. While working through gradeschool, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up; I figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it.

I faced the most difficult challenge of my life when I was about 15 years old. For reasons that I will not discuss here, I became severally sick with anorexia. Anorexia is a cruel disease. It infiltrates every every aspect of life and attacks the mind as viciously as it attacks the body. I became so ill that I was not able to learn. When I tried to read, I would immediately forget what I had just read. Even before anorexia, math and physical science were my weakest subjects, and anorexia ensured I would not build the strong foundation in these subjects that I needed to succeed.  

My last few years of highschool were spent recovering from anorexia. Since I was homeschooled (and stayed home), I was constantly monitored by my mom to ensure I didn’t skip meals and that I was eating enough. It was exhausting for both of us; there were many fights and memories I’d rather forget (it’s important to note my recovery was difficult for my entire family. It affected everyone). The best word to describe how I felt during this time is just…. tired.

However, my mom (and the rest of my family) did not allow me to give up. Ultimately, I did regain weight until my body was healthy, and my mind followed suit soon after. I’ve been fully recovered for nearly a decade now! I believe the homeschooling environment that kept me away from the pressures of public and private school is a significant factor that led to my full recovery.

Since the recovery interrupted my intellectual development, I needed to somehow rebuild the foundational knowledge that was necessary for college (and my career). Anorexia, being the jerk that it is, ensured I would start nearly all the way back at square zero. My parents chose to send me to a small, local community college, where I could rebuild my knowledge and slowly ease my way into college. This will be the topic of future articles.  

Next time in the You’re probably wondering how Katelyn got here:

-       Community college: Getting my feet back under me.

-       University: Picking up the pace. And a pandemic??

-       Graduate school: Things are paying off.