By Samantha Mocle

Emma Turney never pictured herself as a scientist — but her resume suggests otherwise. Turney interned at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology this summer in addition to her part-time jobs at a local pathology lab and an aesthetic medical practice. Though she grew up in Newton, she also never pictured herself going to college in her hometown. Now a junior biology major at Lasell, Turney has boldly erased her preconceived notions of what her college and career opportunities could be, and is instead embracing experiences that, as unexpected as they initially were, bring her joy and satisfaction.

What inspired your pivot from the humanities to science?
I find people fascinating and thought I’d wind up in a career where I’d research and observe humanity through literature. But I discovered that at the core of studying medicine is a desire to help people. I realized that I didn’t want to be an observer; I wanted to be hands-on in making people feel their best. I always thought that science wasn’t for me, that I wasn’t smart enough. My classes at Lasell helped build confidence. I’m proving to my younger self that I can do it.

Where do you hope that confidence and experience will take you?
Positions in aesthetic and reconstructive medicine are hands-on and require forming a relationship. The field is often clouded by the stigma that aesthetic treatments eliminate individuality, but there is so much more to it. It is rewarding to make someone feel better leaving an appointment than when they came in. I hope to graduate from Lasell and go on to get an accelerated nursing degree to work in that field.

Did your internship at the Harvard Museum impact that career plan?
My internship involved documenting a collection of 60,000 slides from an individual’s lifetime research on embryotic skinks. So while it wasn’t directly related, there is a connection because the medical world is exploring if the regenerative properties of amphibians and reptiles can be applied to genetic research and human aesthetics.

You came to Lasell as a transfer student. What was that experience like?
I attended another university but I didn’t feel embedded in the community. Transferring is so stressful since you just want to find your place. One of the things that made me confident that Lasell was the right choice was the transfer process; everyone was so kind and helpful, and that told me everything I needed to know about the Lasell community. The pieces of my puzzle fit here.

Tell me about your time at Lasell so far.
There is a feeling that goes with every environment you’re in — an energy. And there is something comforting about the energy at Lasell. I am extremely grateful. I feel motivated and excited by what I am learning. It has been one of the best educational experiences of my life.

Image by Todd Dionne