Meet Audrey Gruneberg

Audrey Gruneberg is currently pursuing her Honours Bachelor of Science with a specialization in Life Sciences at Queen's University. She currently works as a Research Assistant at the Peter Davies Lab at Queen's University. In her spare time, she loves to bake, cook and do photography.

When did your love of STEM begin?

I always enjoyed and had a natural aptitude for STEM in elementary school, but it was really high school when I realized my love for it. I distinctly remember sitting in Grade 10 science, realizing that with my plans at the time, that was the last science course I would ever take, and then I decided I needed to change my plans because I wasn't ready to give up science!

What did you love most about study in your field of STEM?

Honestly, it's kind of like Kindergarten, where you have play time built into your work day! Whether you're designing a new product or testing new technology or developing and running an experiment- it's so much fun- especially when you collaborate with others too. You get to try things and fail- repeatedly- and that's just part of the process. When you finally achieve what you set out to do, it's the most incredible feeling. After a while of feeling like you've just been treading water, you'll look back and realize just how much you've accomplished, and nothing beats that feeling.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in STEM?

Go for it! Take the opportunities you have while you're young to explore everything you possibly could be interested in. Don't take no for an answer- from anyone, or even yourself. If you find something that scares-you-in-a-good-sort-of-nervous-energy way, take 20 seconds of insane courage and go for it. You can do everything you imagine and more.