Name: Andrea (Andie) Carrillo

Title: Zoology Preparator

Education:

High School Diploma; Bachelor of Science in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, Emphasis in Wildlife Health from University of California Davis

Company Description:

Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Non-profit natural history museum in Denver.

Tell us more about your job.

I work in the Zoology Preparation Lab at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. My job is dissecting animals to preserve parts and data for researchers that are interested in learning more about wild mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Most of my day is spent dissecting, writing down specimen data, or getting parts of specimens through the process of preservation. I also take care of the flesh-eating beetle colony at the Museum and make sure they are happy and healthy while they help us clean skeletons.

Why is STEM important within your industry?

All of the letters in STEM are huge components of natural history museums. When guests come to the museum they see exhibits, research talks, and programs but they rarely see the work that goes into making these experiences a reality. Everyone at DMNS from IT, to exhibits, programs, to researchers, use STEM to make the Museum run smoothly.

My role at DMNS focuses on the Science part of STEM. Researchers need data to make scientific discoveries. The lab provides some of the necessary data and samples for generations of scientists.

Was there a specific moment when you decided you wanted to pursue STEM as a career?

I don't think there was a specific moment. I was first interested in science at around 6. I remember playing with insects in the big field at school instead of playing with my peers. I've always loved all animals and that fascination followed me into adulthood.

What do you like best about your job?

I like working hands-on with the animals. Working directly with animals gives me a greater appreciation for them.

What are the most important skills needed in your job?

I think patience is very important for my job. The tasks in the lab can get repetitive so having the patience to not rush a procedure is very important. Another useful skill is being able to adjust when things don't go according to plan. Not all the animals we work on will follow predictable procedures. Sometimes we need to get creative during the preservation process if the animal has broken bones or is more rotten than we initially thought.

Have there been times in your career where you've faced difficult challenges? How were you able to overcome them?

There have been plenty of challenges throughout my career. Overall, I've learned that being able to sit in how I'm feeling when faced with a challenge has been a great benefit. Taking stock about how I'm feeling and why has greatly improved by ability to face obstacles. After quietly reflecting and letting the emotions pass, I'm usually able to focus on solving the issues better than if I jump in right away. Having a good support system of people I can talk to has also been incredible. Without my friend's and family's emotional support, I would not be able to face many of the challenges that I've faced in my career

Are there any hobbies, sports, or other interests of yours that have helped you excel in your career? I've always enjoyed crafting. I especially enjoy really meticulous tasks like embroidery, crochet, and jewelry making. Having that attention to detail before ever dissecting an animal was a great asset. Additionally, I also like staying active by spending time outside and lifting weights. Staying strong helps on days when we're moving heavy animals around the lab.

What advice would you give to girls of all ages who are interested in STEM?

I'd say that you should follow your interests wherever that goes. You might not end up in STEM, but knowing what you enjoy and what you don't is a great place to start. You don't have to know exactly you want to do right away and sampling a bit of all kinds of STEM can point you towards a career or hobby you'll love.

Any additional thoughts on why it's important to get more girls involved in STEM?

I think we need girls and femmes in STEM so we can have better femme representation in STEM data. All aspects of STEM have seen girls excluded from datasets, decision making, and algorithms. Without girls in positions to bring up biases, girls and femmes will continue to be excluded from datasets. Lack of representation can have negative impacts on girl's health, safety, and lead to inaccurate science.