Client Feature: Stevie Carnation

We love our amazing clients and we love hearing about their awesome lives. Stevie Carnation is one of our favorites! She is a bright and determined woman devoted to her life as a PhD student in Physical Anthropology from Stony Brook University. She is currently in Europe for her studies. We got to talk to her right as she departed:

Describe to us exactly what you will be doing in Europe?

 While in Europe I will be visiting museums and universities to study their primate collections (which include fossils as well as bones from animals that exist today).  I'm usually given a desk or small workspace and I photograph, measure, and make observations about the bones and fossils.  The data I collect can vary from measuring the length of a certain tooth, to noting the presence or absence of a muscle insertion point on a foot bone, to drawing the different ways in which the bones in the nasal region articulate with one another.  The purpose of my research is to reconstruct the family tree of a group of monkeys called the colobines, with the aim of determining more accurate placement for their fossil relatives. 

How did you get into this field of study? Was it something you had thought about for a long time or did it sort of happen suddenly?

 I had always been good at math and science in school, and after reading "The Hot Zone" in 9th grade, I had decided to become an virologist (one of those people in the bubble suits who works with Ebola).  I worked towards this in college, but after spending a summer working in a DNA lab, I decided I didn't like being cooped up inside and wanted to do science out in the open.  Since I had always loved primates and evolution, I decided to focus on anthropology.  I picked up a minor, got an internship at the Smithsonian, and started doing research on graduate programs in the field.  So I suppose I've always wanted to be a scientist, but it took be awhile to figure out what my focus should be.  

What are your future goals?

 I've been doing a lot of goal-setting lately, so I don't really know where to begin.  Lofty long term: Change the world with science, go to space.  Realistic long term: Get a job that enables me to inspire the next generation of scientists (whether that's teaching, museum education, becoming the female Bill Nye the Science Guy), contribute significantly to primate (or general animal) conservation efforts, travel the world, and settle somewhere that allows me daily opportunities to interact with nature.  Short-term: Finish my PhD, run a marathon in the next two years (I've got two halves under my belt), complete a 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge, learn Mandarin.

What brought you to Adorn?

  I actually did a lot of research to find a salon when I moved here a year and a half ago.  To be honest I just got a really good vibe from Adorn's website.  I was drawn to the overall design and liked your use of organic and local products.  And those positive vibes were only reinforced the first time I walked into the salon, met Amy, and was offered some herbal tea!

(Amy Grove)

Do you have any advice for people with similar interests as you?

 First I would say that's it never too late to develop a new hobby, passion, or even career.  At a fossil dig in Kenya, I met a man who was an airline pilot for 25 years and decided to get a degree in anthropology in his 50s.  Second, if you're interested in something, just start reading about it, even if it's wikipedia.  The advantage that we have in this day and age is that you can become relatively proficient in most subjects just by reading books and articles online.  If you're unsure where to start, contact a professor at a local university who teaches a related subject.  They'd probably be happy to point you to some introductory resources.  And for anthropology specifically, look into field schools.  These usually last 6-8 weeks over the summer and give you hands on experience digging up fossils, observing native cultures, or studying how primates behave in the wild.  You learn a TON in a short period of time and they give you an idea of the physical challenges you'll face if you become a practicing anthropologist. 

What are you most proud of?

 I'm most proud of my commitment to my education.  I am a first generation college graduate, and growing up in a single parent household, I had to bust my ass in high school (while working part-time) to get good enough grades to not only get into a good school, but to get a scholarship to go there.  For some reason I decided early on in college that I would go to grad school even though I only knew a handful of people who had ever attended. So once again I was keeping my grades up, going to a work-study job, and interning to gain valuable experience in my field. Even now, I work part-time at Teach For America (even remotely while I'm in Europe) so I can fund these research trips and continue working on my PhD.  Though it's definitely been challenging to work to put myself through school (and know that I'll still be paying off tuition well into my 50s), I know it's going to pay off in the end. Plus I've been able to go to some amazing places along the way.

Thanks so much, Stevie! We look forward to seeing you when you come back across the pond!