Connecting Your Innate Talents and Abilites To College and Beyond
	My name is Danielle Carrick and I am a PhD graduate student studying pharmacology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. During my senior year of college I began to think about what I wanted to do with my biology degree. There was so much out there to choose from and I felt confused and scared about choosing a lifetime career. It seemed that most of my friends were in the same situation, but were willing to settle for jobs even though they didn't suit them. I knew that I didn't want to settle. Rather I wanted to pursue something that I would be good at and that I enjoyed doing. Again, however, I was confused about what that career might be; I thought that I might want to either be a pharmacist, optometrist, or get my PhD in biomedical research. I had made many trips to the college counselor to try to help me decide what career path to pursue. Yet, I found that those sessions were mostly a waste of time, as they merely told me what other biology majors have done and they did not help me figure out what I would be good at. When I heard about the Highlands Program I decided that this could be a way of helping me figure out what I might be good at and enjoy pursing as a career.      So, I signed up for the Highlands Program Ability Battery. I wasn't sure what to expect, other than that it wasn't going to be a typical "exam" which tested my knowledge. As I went through the battery's exercises, I found certain ones actually fun to do, while other ones were a bit tougher. Immediately after taking the Ability Battery, I wasn't sure what the results would be. When I went for the post-battery feedback session, some of the results surprised me, yet some of the results confirmed what I had always felt. As I talked with Al about the results and how they pertained to my work style, life style, and learning styles, I found that the results accurately described me. I discovered that I one of my greatest abilities was that I had high idea productivity. This was something that I should definitely use in my career of choice. In addition, I had high classification and concept organization abilities. However, contrary to my prior beliefs, I was not as much of a "people person" as I thought that I was. After discussing this with Al, I found that the Ability Battery actually did describe me accurately; while I do enjoy working with people, I get tired easily by working with people one on one and I need some time to "recharge". By discovering which abilities were my strongest ones, I was able to determine that a career which allows me to solve problems, figure things out, and come up with different ideas was what I wanted. I also determined that a career in which I would need to work all day long with people one on one, would probably not be very enjoyable for me. Therefore, I was able to rule out pharmacy and optometry. Furthermore, I discovered that doing research was a career that I would most likely enjoy doing and be good at. Indeed, I have found biomedical research was a very good career choice for me. The Highlands Program pointed me in the right direction for a career in which I can best use my abilities. I have since recommended the Highlands Program to my friends and co-workers who are still struggling to find an enjoyable career for themselves.