Alumni Spotlight:
Destiny D. Reeves
Intern (Undergraduate), Summer 2015, watch Destiny's intern video here
 Where are you now? Tell us what you've been up to since completing your Field Museum Women in Science internship?I’m working at The Field Museum! I’m currently in the Moreau Lab, working on ant phylogenetics. I also recently graduated from the University of Chicago where I double-majored in biology and geophysics. I wrote my thesis using data from my first summer working in the Moreau Lab. I’ve gone to a few conferences and I’m learning how to navigate the field of evolutionary biology.
Where are your plans for the future?
I’m looking into graduate school, possibly in conservation biology/ecology. Taking things kind of slow right now.
How did your Field Museum Women in Science Internship impact you?
Without the internship, I likely wouldn’t be working here! I’ve received a lot of guidance from others in the Field Museum. I have a good mentor “safety-net” in those I’ve worked with.
What advice would you give to women interested in pursuing an education or career in STEM fields?
Reach out! Take risks! Don’t be afraid to cold-email someone who has a lab you’d like to work in, the worst thing that could possibly happen is a “no” reply. Learn how to learn—it sounds silly, but you know yourself better than anyone, including how you take in and process information. Finally, understand that failure (whether that be getting that “no” reply, or receiving a less-than-stellar grade in a class), isn’t the end of the world. It really isn’t. Everyone I’ve met has had that one class that they hated, or that one person they worked with that wasn’t the greatest, and they laugh about it with their colleagues down the road. Your mental health comes first!
What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
I’m looking forward to getting some publications out there (fingers crossed!), it’s going to be crazy to have my name in Google Scholar results. I'll be like some kind of obscure celebrity...
If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be & why?
Boring answer: a domesticated dog in the herding group. Dogs are so happy, especially those with a job.
Non-boring answer: a tardigrade. Such a simple, resilient creature. Can you imagine just living practically forever, eating all the time? Sounds pretty great to me.
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