(From June 2nd, 2017)

“So here is my story. I have been in science for quite a while and have had a varying degrees of support as well as non support. I started out over a decade ago going from major to major until one professor ended up really engaging me and getting me excited about science as a career. She knew I was gay and ended up telling me to persevere through my coursework even though at that point I did not have the support of my parents for my sexual orientation. Even as short as a decade ago it could be hard to keep or get a job if you ended up identifying as being in the lgbt community. “

“It took me a while to finish my bachelors but am fairly soon applying for my masters work in the microbiology field. It is so diverse in terms of the things people are able to study now. It has grown and evolved into such a wonderful field of scholarship. All I can say to those with in the LGBT community is to keep on persevering, never give up and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. The scientific community is here for you, we are strong, diverse, and inclusive. Reach for the stars.”- Ari