QUEEN OF DANGEROUS RESEARCH

I graduated from Scripps College in 1980, 21 years old and clueless.  I took my diploma and walked out into the world scared out of my mind because I had no idea what to do with myself.  Secretly I liked the idea of being a writer and I was quietly playing around with short stories but I had no confidence and no real belief in my potential ability.  If there had been a crystal ball at that graduation ceremony (wouldn’t that be a nice addition at all rites of passage?) and I could have seen myself 31 years later on the cover of the Scripps College Magazine touted as “The Queen of Dangerous Research” I’m sure I would have rejected the vision as a mystical screw-up.  That girl couldn’t possibly become this woman.  But here I am on the cover, honored by my alma mater as a success.  This is one of the greatest professional accomplishments of my life.  I wish I could reach back and give that 21-year-old Katie Anawalt a little hug and tell her it all turned out better than she could have imagined.

Read article.