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I, like many on the Mayo team, came to the Mayo Clinic through unexpected circumstances and/or stayed much longer than I expected. I love to tell stories, so here is my Mayo Clinic journey.
While I was finishing my undergraduate degree, my parents moved to Spring Valley, Minn. – 26 miles southeast of Rochester. I moved “home” the summer after I graduated from Macalester College while I began my job hunt. With my degree in chemistry and geology, I had expected to work for a mining company or paper manufacturer.
That summer, I met my soul mate in Spring Valley. His relatives and friends said to me, “Why don’t you apply to Mayo Clinic?” Although my grandmother had received wonderful care at the Mayo Clinic, my first thought was Mayo wouldn’t hire me; I knew nothing about health care. I was wrong! I accepted the first position for which I applied as a Research Technologist. I could put my chemistry degree to work! At that time I wasn’t at all sure how long I would stay at Mayo Clinic.
My career at Mayo has been fulfilling and fun. I spent my first 10 years in Research; my next 15 years were in Purchasing. My last four years have been as the Assistant Dean for the Mayo School of Health Sciences.
I was fortunate to spend almost eight years at Mayo Clinic Arizona. I helped with the beginnings of the Research shield at Mayo Clinic Arizona and participated in building the first hospital that Mayo Clinic ever built – all other Mayo hospitals had been acquired by Mayo rather than built by Mayo.
Like many others, I was thinking I may only stay for a few years, and then I look back and 30 years have passed. The opportunities to make a difference in Research, with new initiatives like building a hospital and to work with our students - who are the future of Mayo Clinic - has kept me loving my being part of the Mayo Clinic team.
Mayo has also cared for my family in ways that I will always appreciate more than words can tell; however, I will try to tell that story at another time.
