I am what they have termed a “non-traditional student” due to the fact I took the long road to complete my education. I set off to college after my senior year of high school, as I was taught is the natural next step. Honestly, I was really there to play soccer and wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to pursue. I had always wanted to go into medicine, but I knew I was not ready for that. Shortly after starting my sophomore year, I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter, Giana. Naturally, this altered the path I was on. I stuck with school for a bit and began working as a restaurant server. Ultimately, I made the decision to focus on work and my daughter, putting my education on the back burner.

When Giana was in the fifth grade, I reenrolled at a university and began my pursuit of becoming a physician. I was mentally and financially more prepared for the demands of a pre-medical program. Initially, I declared a Biomedical Science major with an Anthropology and Chemistry minor. I genuinely enjoyed my courses and was excelling, especially in Anatomy and Physiology. As I worked closer with the faculty, I learned that most of them held a Ph.D. in Anthropology. I was thrilled to discover a way to combine my love for both Anthropology and the Biomedical Sciences. I decided to add Anthropology as a second bachelor’s degree rather than a minor. It was during a bioarcheological dig in Ukraine that I decided to fully commit to a path geared towards Anthropology and decline my medical school acceptance.

In the fall of 2020, my long-term boyfriend and I moved to Missoula, Montana, so I could begin a Master of Arts program. There, I had an instructor, Dr. Katie Baca, who is also a Funeral Director. Shortly after receiving my M.A., she informed me of an opening on the removal staff with the funeral homes of Missoula. This opportunity came at a perfect time. I had fallen in love with the area and agreed to remain at the University of Montana to complete my Ph.D. and teach Anatomy and Physiology. I recall during my interview, the manager, Tyson Moore, informed me of the path to becoming a funeral director and the many opportunities and growth within the field. I thanked him for the information and chuckled to myself, thinking I had changed my path enough times and, after all, becoming a funeral director was my sister’s passion. I was grateful for the employment and the flexibility it provided. Intending my new position to simply be just that, a flexible job during grad school.

I quickly realized that the funeral industry just felt like the right fit. I knew there were Mortuary Science programs available online and began considering enrolling along with my Ph.D. I knew the combination of this dual enrollment would be challenging. Still, I couldn’t imagine not pursuing a career in the funeral industry. I discussed these plans with family members, including my sister. She found it humorous that she was in nursing school, and I was considering enrolling in a Mortuary Science program. I believe her exact words were, “Why are you living my dream?” to which I replied, “Why aren’t you?” We are both currently enrolled in the online Mortuary Science program at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado.

The challenges of teaching A&P labs at U of M, working on my Ph.D. in Forensic and Molecular Anthropology, the Mortuary Science program and my employment at The Missoula Funeral Homes can only be described as a beautiful chaos.

I sometimes have to remind myself that this life is real — that I have found a way to do all the things I love in a state that truly feels like home. I believe it is essential that you stay open to new possibilities and never close the door to an opportunity simply because it seems complicated or goes against societal expectations of what paths you should take. Had I not lived by these philosophies, I may have never discovered that a career as a funeral director and embalmer seems to be my true calling.

I cannot go without mentioning the phenomenal group of directors I have the opportunity to learn from in Missoula. All of my coworkers at Just Cremation Montana, Garden City Funeral Home and Sunset Memorial Gardens have grown to feel like family. The support and encouragement I feel on a daily basis are often the boost I need to keep following my dreams.

Being the recipient of the Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship will be a tremendous help in reaching my educational goals. It is such an honor to receive the support from the MFDA. I look forward to becoming a funeral director and continuing the exceptional standard of care that past and present directors in Montana demonstrate daily.