Pivoting Dreams: Trusting God When the Path Shifts Unexpectedly

This one's a forever motto.

Although I failed my qualifying exam, that did not stop the Lord from extending His favor to other aspects of my graduate journey. While I couldn’t recognize it in the moment, He was there, and I want to take time to give God the glory for sustaining me. 

I found that I was blessed but unprepared for life post-graduate school. Most post-grad students have undergone extensive professional development that nurtures non-technical skills and distinguishes them in a professional setting. My development prior to 2023 included attending local and national conferences, participating in skill-specific workshops, and contributing to peer review for journals. 

In the first six months of 2023, I applied to two national conferences and one regional conference. As a second-year student with no intention of giving a formal presentation, there were no available funds from my lab to support my attendance. Still, I was determined to attend at least one conference that year to begin setting myself up for future success. To my surprise, I was accepted to all three, fully funded by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN). By God’s grace, I attended both the Spring and Fall ACS National Meetings, as well as the Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design (SEED) conference. 

A candid moment from the Q&A after my lightning talk.

God didn’t just meet my need—He exceeded my expectations. I was even granted the opportunity to participate in a 5-minute Rapid-Fire presentation of my research at the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly during the ACS Spring Meeting. I am a witness that God is fully present, even when I am not completely prepared. Truly, He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). 

A quick photo with my fellow presenters after the lightning talks!

Edited by Meik Lee