Wanting it all . . .

Abstract

Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s when so many changes were happening in American society made me believe that my dreams could be fulfilled and that being a woman was no longer a barrier to the career that I wanted. I could be married and have children and have a successful career. However, along with "wanting it all" is the reality that you have to prioritize and learn to balance what is most important to you in life. This is my story of how I have managed to wear the many hats that I do: As a chemistry professor at a mid-sized, private Catholic university, as a research mentor, as a wife, daughter, sister, and friend, and as a mother.