Frozen in Utah

So Winter Semester is off with a running start. Classes are quickly piling on the homework because obviously our entire life revolves around that teacher and their assignments. I am working this semester as a TA for Dr. Marsh. I had him for Book of Mormon last semester and LOVED his class so much I asked him if I could TA for him. He ended up hiring Marian Spencer (my good buddy from Bangkok) and I! So not only do I have the best job on campus I have one of my best friends there with me. Currently he has us copying his Book of Mormon that he has been editing for the past 35 years and scanning in all the books in his office. Fun stuff!

So besides classes and work life is pretty great. Mark and I eat lunch at the Cannon Center nearly every day and we either make dinner together or eat at the Cannon/Wilk. Utah is nice and all but it is entirely too cold here for skinny little me. Every time I step out that door I feel like I am taking my life into my own hands. Seriously, if I were cry I think my tears would freeze on my face!

This new semester has a lot of Promise and will be the deciding factor for whether I switch my major from Biology to Molecular Biology. So far the MMBIO 240 class that I am enrolled in fascinates me. I love learning about the cell and DNA/RNA. I eventually want to go to Grad School and major in Genetic Counseling. You are probably asking what is a Genetic Counselor? What do they do? Here is some info on them:


Traditionally, a genetic counselor has a masters degree in genetic counseling and has studied genetic diseases and how those diseases run in families. The genetic counselor can help a person or family understand their risk for genetic conditions (such as cystic fibrosis, cancer, or Down syndrome), educate the person or family about that disease, and assess the risk of passing those diseases on to children.
A genetic counselor will often work with families to identify members who are at risk. If it is appropriate, they will discuss genetic testing, coordinate any testing, interpret test results, and review all additional testing, surveillance, surgical, or research options that are available to members of the family.
Genetic counselors often work as part of a health care team in conjunction with specially trained doctors, social workers, nurses, medical geneticists, or other specialists to help families make informed decisions about their health. They also work as patient advocates, helping individuals receive additional support and services for their health care needs.

This truly seems like it will be right up my ally. It will allow me to be with my family but also work and do what I love. I'm really excited about this prospect for my future. It is a relatively new field and only 32 schools in the nation that offer the masters program and they are very selective taking only 6 to 12 students normally. Hopefully I can get in! I'm probably going to do the Honors program here at BYU but it will be a lot of work.

Well that's an update on my life and my first Blog post ever! :D More to come I promise!

Random Fact: Ketchup actually began in Thailand. There it was labeled Kachiap.