I have always been interested in astronomy and also geology. While in high school, I chose astronomy as a focus because I thought I had a better chance at becoming an astronaut with a degree in that discipline. Also during high school, I was required to write a term paper on a topic of my choice; I chose the Sun and my interest was piqued. Instead of majoring in astronomy however, I majored in physics, which by then I realized gave me a broad base of knowledge that could be applied to many careers in science and engineering. When I began graduate school, I also became a NASA co-op in the Solar Physics Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center. I graduated from the University of Alabama in Hunstville with a Master's Degree in Physics and a specialty in solar physics. Immediately thereafter, I became a NASA civil servant in the Solar Physics Branch, not quite an astronaut, but working for NASA, researching our very interesting star, the Sun.