My journey to becoming a pathologist was via a nontraditional route. After graduating from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with a double science major in chemistry and biology, I worked in research and development as a polymer chemist in Ohio. My work in the chemistry field was both interesting and challenging. However, I felt a need for a career that more directly served people and so sought to enter the medical field by completing an internship in the Sioux Valley Medical Technology program. After completion of the internship, I worked as a night technologist and then as the Hematology instructor for the program. In looking to the future and towards personal growth, I considered entering the administrative aspect of medicine by enrolling in the University of South Dakota School of Business. But I continued to work in the laboratory while taking business courses and soon realized my desire was to pursue my first love of science. Thus I entered the University of South Dakota School of Medicine where I received my medical degree, followed by residency training in Clinical and Anatomic Pathology. The next step in my journey was fellowship training in Dermatopathology at Duke University Medical Center. I then returned home to South Dakota to join the Clinical Laboratory of the Black Hills pathology group to add the subspecialty of Dermatopathology to the already diverse expertise of the group. The skin has such a wide range of disorders that I found myself continually challenged and excited to sit down at my microscope each day! Actually, I enjoy the variety of all aspects of both Clinical and Anatomic Pathology. Working with the other pathologists in our group, with other physicians and with laboratory professionals in our common goal of accurate diagnosis and monitoring of disease and effective patient care is extremely rewarding. I am proud to be a member of such a high quality team of professionals! Away from the laboratory, I enjoy spending time with my daughter in the beautiful Black Hills area as well as gardening, reading, music, and traveling.