A semester into my first year of college, I decided that I needed a part-time job, so I applied for a lab assistant job at Dairy Microbiology. I was pretty excited about the job as it paid well, and I was fascinated by the dairy industry. Plus, I got to take home free milk, cheese and ice cream samples home as a benefit. Free ice cream? Hello, dream job!

As I was given a tour of the facilities on my first day on the job, I learned that I would spend my days testing for fat content in milk samples. I would also wash dishes and test tubes. I would grid tests and fill out paperwork. I thought to myself, “Okay, I’m not a chemist, but maybe I’ll learn something new. It can’t be that bad can it?” However, as a journalism student, I quickly realized that detailed chemistry experiments, endless dishes to wash and tedious lab tests and paperwork were definitely not my thing.

One day, I was working in the lab when it suddenly dawned on me that I might not belong in a chemistry lab. I was testing for fat content in a batch of chocolate milk samples. The chocolate milk was constantly causing me problems, and I always ended up doing the experiment twice. That day I vowed that I would get it right the first time.

Unfortunately, I soon started day dreaming about my career goals, my weekend plans and how much homework I had that night. The next thing you know, I had put a chemical into my experiment earlier than it had called for. Well, in my mind, that called for another experiment. What would happen to my chocolate milk if I finished the test this way? I placed the test tubes into the centrifuge. I pushed the button to start the spin, and BAM! Chocolate milk exploded everywhere! Sadly, I cleaned up the mess in shame, knowing I would have to repeat the test to earn accurate results.

I walked home from work that day and thought that maybe a chemistry lab position wasn’t exactly the perfect fit for my skill set. I knew my dairy experimenting days were numbered. Throughout my college experience, I have tried new jobs and learned new things, but I will never forget the day I realized…I’m no chemist, but I sure like the dairy industry!