Genetic Counselor - Molly Sterner '20

Alumnus overview:

Molly began her biological career at Millersville and successfully completed and defended an undergraduate thesis in August 2020 (Investigation into the Potential Reprogramming of Turtle Neural Crest Cells). During the pandemic, she took some time to think about a career that might work well for her. She learned about genetic counseling through Millersville instructor, Dr. Carol Hepfer. In 2020, she took some time to explore the field and shadow. In 2021 she returned to the workforce as a Eurofins laboratory technician. She was  accepted into the Thomas Jefferson University Genetic Counseling Training Program in 2022 and began that Fall. She had the opportunity to complete rotations in Lancaster County, with the Amish and Mennonite population as well as in Maine, supporting their pediatric genetics team. Throughout her time at Jefferson, she was also employed at Cooper University Health with their Cancer Genetic Program. A full time genetic counseling position opened there as she was graduating and she’s very grateful to still be on their staff as a full time genetic counselor!

 

Advice to current & future MU biology students:

“It's wonderful to know what you want to do when you enter college, but it's also okay not to know! I did not know what I wanted to do with my degree until after I already graduated and I ended up with a job that I love! Take this time in school to explore different career paths and give yourself some grace if it takes a little longer to figure out what works for you.”