Christina Waters
BIO
Chemist and Research Officer at a governmental public health agency (USA). Mom of 2 boys.
Instagram: @thecurlychemist
Instagram: @mytrisconsultingllc
Christina Waters
“Another challenge I face as a mom, and a Black mom in STEM, is the lack of representation and diversity.”
My journey in STEM started in 3rd grade when I fell in love with Maths. We used to have these Multiplication Times quizzes and I would always finish first. Sometimes, I would finish two of the quizzes before in the allocated time. I was fascinated with numbers and calculating in my head.
In 11th grade, I was introduced to chemistry in a way that blew my mind. My teacher, Mr. Lambert, made the subject flow and it was so exciting that it literally set me on the path to becoming a chemist.
Throughout my 15-year career, I’ve worked as a Quality Assurance Chemist in the private sector and then went on to work as an Analytical and Food Chemist for the federal government. While I was in the private sector, I was not a mom yet, however, I was married. The demands of my career were taxing at times, which is why I transitioned to the government sector before starting a family. I had heard from colleagues in the industry that the work life balance was better. Over the years, I’ve found that to be true, especially in my current role at the FDA. While pregnant with both my kids I was able to work in a quality Role to support lab functions as opposed to my regular duties in the laboratory.
Although the work-life balance is good in my role, one of my challenges with being a mother in STEM is the unpredictable work days. Some days in the lab could go smoothly and then other days are total chaos.
As a mom, we can’t afford to stay late hours or work over time when an experiment goes haywire. For me, I’ve learned to pace my work to account for those types of days so that I’m not running behind or rushing to pick up my kids from school.
Another challenge I face as a mom and a black mom in STEM is the lack of representation and diversity.
While pregnant, I started to build my kids library and wanted to include STEM books with characters who look like them. It was a challenge finding those, so I created my own. My book Tristan’s Laboratory of ABC’s is a labor of love inspired by my son Tristan, illustrated by my mother-In-law Robin Waters and my love for science. We’re currently working on an activity book to go alongside the hard copy.