I had one friend in college who was going to be a scientist of some sort, chemistry I think. She pushed really hard until year 3 or so and then fell in love and decided to drop out, and then went to a 2 year school years later to become a nurse. So much potential immediately wasted. I can’t pretend to know her exact motivations, but it always made me sad.

And hey, ton of respect for nurses, but anyone from the rural America knows that it’s a thankless job that they are taken advantage of, and it’s specifically because it’s a “fallback” career that is “acceptable” for women with families.

I think that’s what makes me sad. Fuck gender stereotypes, go be a scientist if that’s your dream, don’t fall into what everyone expects that you’ll do.