Kayla Matz
BIO
I'm a science communicator with a PhD in biochemistry and a passion for science education. I'm a mother to a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old.
Instagram: @ChembyDrM
Kayla Matz
“I realized my old dreams just weren’t the same anymore.”
My journey as a mother and a scientist can be summed up as definitely 100% unexpected. It has been one that I’d never heard of before, so that’s why I wanted to share it here! I now have two children aged 1 and 3 years old, and have another one on the way!
I received my PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona in 2015. I studied protein systems in bacteria that either steal beneficial metals or get rid of toxic metals. Afterwards, I began interviewing for a teaching fellowship at a small liberal arts university. My dream was to get tenure at a school just like that.
Then on the same day, I found out I was pregnant and got the interview. I started that job 4 months pregnant and was so nervous about being pregnant at a new job.
Luckily, I got so much positive support. Plus, the semester ended 6 weeks before my due date, so that worked out surprisingly well!
When I returned in the fall, I expected to still want tenure and to work full time. But after becoming a mother, I realised that I didn’t want tenure and loved working part time. I felt so guilty about it and I worried people would judge me. I even judged myself! How could I, a PhD feminist, not want tenure and want to work "only" part time?
I found great mentors at my school who were kinder to me than I was to myself, never judging.
Through all of this, I realised my old dreams just weren’t the same anymore. I found my true passion - teaching and helping anyone and everyone understand science. My old guilt about leaving my old dreams creeps in sometimes, but now I’m so happy and feel really fulfilled.
I have a great new part-time job doing education outreach to biochemistry students at Western Governors University, I do community outreach, work on my own science website, and am an editor for ScienceSeeker.org.