Dawn Stancil
#N/A
I’m a lesbian and I’m a scientist interested in host genetics and the microbiome. //
I was born in New York and grew up in North Carolina. In 1998, I sold everything I owned and moved to Los Angeles. I quickly discovered the West was quite different than the world I had been exposed to in the South. I have never been one to worry about what other people thought, but that didn’t make my road an easier one. While in NC, I was fired from a job, openly discriminated against, and assaulted as a result of the ignorance of small-minded individuals who disagreed with my lifestyle choices, YET I PERSEVERE! Today, I wear many hats: I am a proud scientist, a mentee, a mentor, a daughter, an aunt, a sister, a friend, a STEM advocate, a survivor, a feminist, a student, a teacher, a lover, a fighter, a leader, a follower, a doggy mom, a coffee enthusiast, and last but not least, a lesbian. I’m grateful to share my story, as I believe wholeheartedly that education will lead to the eradication of hate and make this world a better place for humankind! Take the road less traveled and leave a trail!