The idea of making life-shaping decisions at a young age is daunting. However, reading Chloe Kirk’s story of experimentation and discovery gives a new perspective on how to navigate making decisions based on your passions.
As a kid, Chloe didn’t know exactly what she was passionate about because she found so many fields interesting. From business to law to science, she exposed herself to various extracurricular activities to hone in on her interests, from debate and mock trial for law and volunteering at a cancer biology lab for science.
Her strive of exposure brought her to the point where she finally realized her passion for biology and law, whereby she matriculated to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After meeting with over 15 different academic advisors, Chloe picked Molecular Biology as her major. However her inclination towards law, and all the debate and mock trial sessions from high school, also had her add Legal Studies as a second major.
Her love for research kept her on her feet. She never stopped exploring the scope of her passions and continued the search for hands-on experiences. She was selected for a five-month internship at Osaka Gas in Japan as the fruit of her efforts. This was it – coming back, she was sure that cell biology research was her true calling. Thus, she completed her undergraduate senior thesis in that particular area.
After undergrad, Chloe decided to follow research full time. She enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Miami, opting for research in their Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program.
Starting with a lot of uncertainty and ending up with double majors in her undergrad, Chloe Kirk states that if someone chooses to major in science, taking a non-science major alongside it will always help prevent the burnout that inevitably happens with science research. In addition, she intends to combine her interest in law with science after graduate school as “more scientists need to be in roles actively working and communicating with the public”.
Feeling inspired already and want to know more? Visit Chloe’s Instagram page to see her PhD journey, along with exclusive research insights to put things into perspective for you.