Episode 2 - Should I be an Artist or a Scientist?

Jake Cecala is a PhD student of entomology at the University of California, Riverside, where he is in his last year of studies. That means, in 2021 I will officially have to call him Dr. Cecala. It also formalizes what I refer to him now, which is “The Bee Doctor”. During this episode, Jake thinks back to High School, where he remembers asking himself the question, “should a be a scientist or an artist?”. I can personally attest to his artistic prowess. I still have several of his drawings today: even the ones that he has made in jest are fantastic displays of competency. Perhaps this is due to his very talented mother passing down her artistic abilities, or perhaps it’s the perfectionism that Jake references during our conversation. Either way, it seems he chose wisely to go into the field of science, as it has allowed him to work with relative autonomy and enjoy the experience of having no two days be exactly the same. During our conversation, Jake reveals that he did not know what he was going to do. He knew he liked science, but it wasn’t until he was in a notoriously difficult class, did well, and didn’t feel like he was working, that he figured he may be on to something. Because of this experience, he took a chance and asked the professor about volunteer opportunities for undergraduates in her lab. By taking that chance, it led to his first paying job in the sciences, exposure to his eventual field of study, and his master’s degree advisor. We cover a lot during this podcast including the general field of Entomology, academic publications, and community outreach. I think Jake offers great information for high schoolers, college students, and adults who are thinking or worrying about what they may want to do for a career. Mainly, don’t panic. Be open to new experiences. Try things. If you can do that, you’ll likely find your path.