Throughout my professional career each position in which I've worked has helped me to grow and develop into who I am today. My experiences in the U.S. Navy taught me the value of integrity, good communication, and the importance of standard operating procedures (SOPs). I was also able to develop analytical skills in wet chemistry and radioanalysis. During this time working in the Navy's nuclear propulsion program, the importance of good analytical techniques was instilled into me as was the importance of good record keeping. As a custom analytical reference standards company, o2si Smart Solutions, LLC (now LGC Charleston, SC) provided a unique opportunity. Joining this company early in its development provided endless opportunities for personal development and growth. I was able to further develop my analytical skills as I learned to use gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID), UV/Vis spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). New clients requesting new standards led to method development and optimizations for these products while interpreting the data collected from the analysis of these products informed product development. As o2si's sales increased, I was able to move into laboratory management which required good communication skills, helping employees to develop their skills (professional and personal), and provide training and mentoring to new employees to help them succeed. My eventual pursuit of a PhD led to the University of Kansas. As a graduate research assistant using Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HX-MS) in the Weis Research Group, I've been able to expand my analytical skills to include protein and peptide analytical techniques. HX-MS is utilized to study protein structure and interactions often requiring intact, reduced, and subunit protein mass analysis, identifying post-translational modifications and performing peptide analysis using LC-MS/MS DDA. In addition to expanding my chemistry and biochemistry analytical skills and knowledge while at KU, I was also selected for the Self Graduate Fellowship which provides professional training for effective communications through the development of written and oral communication skills using public and technical writing and presentations programs. Collectively, these experiences have afforded the opportunity to learn many different analytical techniques including GC-FID, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, UV/Vis, HPLC and recognize that I enjoy continually learning and growing as a professional while working in diverse, collaborative environments.