Question: Were you set on this felid on science? Whats the best part of your job? How long did it take you too become what you are now? What is the best reward of your job?

K. Lindsay Hunter answered on 12 May 2015:

Awww! I was hoping you DID mean “felid” of science, because I was imagining a big KITTY!

When I was in grade school, I first wanted to be a saint, but after researching that some, decided that it almost always required a VERY career path. Next, I was going to be a writer, and I submitted to “Highlights: For Kids.” When I was in high school, it changed to Shakespearean scholar and street performer to museum curator. In college, I decided to study Holocaust history, which led me to anthropology. I then quickly became interested in human bones (I blame my Grammy reading me too many true crime stories at bedtime as a kid).

When it came time to apply to grad school, I actually applied to history, a writers’ workshop, and paleoanthropology. It was only in a roundabout way of working in one of the paleo labs that I ended up in this field. I’m very happy with my choice, though I always am looking for ways to marry my loves of history, writing, people, and museums.

I finished my Masters program in two years, but was in my PhD program for seven years before I left it. I’d like to still finish my PhD, but that just wasn’t the right time. Life intervenes.

The best reward of my job is that I’m very seldom bored because I’m always learning. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also gotten away from being hung up on what a scientist “should” look and act like, because this gave me a bad case of something called “imposter syndrome” (feeling like a fake). By returning to my history and reading roots, I’ve found that a lot of the best scientists were those that combined unusual, non-sciency talents with their science, so I’m trying to do that, as well.