Who Want To Be a PhD?

As we start to wind down a long, not so sunny week in Orlando, attending #NOBCCHE2022, I had a flashback to NOBCCHE 2019 in St. Louis. Not only was this the last conference I attended three short months prior to the world being shut down by Covid but it was also the conference where I met a PhD student who left myself and coworker Chasity Norton, PMP in complete agreement, that upon completing his PHD, Jerrano L. Bowleg Bowleg was a perfect fit for a mission driven organization like RTI International , an organization where I have always stated, “anyone that joins RTI in a research capacity, regardless of their experience level, is walking through the door with the potential to change the world.”

Upon approaching our booth, Jerrano was immediately impressive.?Technically, he portrayed both competence and quiet confidence, and presented like a seasoned professional.?Often, when working a conference hall, there is not enough time to talk to potential candidates and truly get to know them, understanding their motivation.?Luckily, there was a lull in the crowd, and for that reason Chasity and I got to know Jerrano at a more personal level and we were quickly treated to a story that I will never forget and have since told countless times.

As it turns out, Jerrano’s path to becoming a PhD student was unlike the other students I had talked to that day, and at any conference I had attended in the past, for that matter.?Jerrano was born in Nassau and attended elementary school until 5th grade before matriculating to Crooked Island, a small island with a population of ~350 people and just roughly 50 students at his local high school. Jerrano was raised in a family where they subsistence fishing and ‘crabbing’, hence, when asked in during his schooling where he saw himself in 10 years, he certainly didn’t foresee a PhD in that option. It was what he had learned, and it was what he knew.

However, that all changed for Jerrano in his freshman year at the College of The Bahamas where in a general chemistry lecture, the professor asked the class was, “who wants to be a medical doctor?” Most in his class wanted to pursue Medicine but Jerrano doesn’t fancy the site of blood, however, science always fascinated him. Next question the professor asked was, “who wants to be a PhD?”?It was at that time that Jerrano stood up, even though he was not entirely sure why.?It was in that brief moment where he was both uncertain what that actually meant, but also very certain that it would provide him with the opportunity to do something big and present an opportunity to “change the world.” From then, he was able to earn a full band scholarship to Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Bahamas All-Stars where he played trombone as section leader.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Jerrano then went on to obtain an MS, Chemistry from Mississippi State University, and the eventual PhD in Computational Chemistry 3 years later.

Between our initial introduction and completion of his PhD,?Jerrano touched base every few months,?letting me know how his studies were progressing.?Nearly two years after that initial meeting, Jerrano reached out again to let me know that he was prepared to defend his thesis.?The timing was perfect.?Not only was there a position open that aligned with his background, but he applied, successfully interviewed, and joined RTI International in January 2021.?From that island of ~350 people and a high school of 50, Jerrano is now working at one of the world's leading research institutes, all because he knew that he wanted to change the world, and because he stood up when asked the question, “who wants to be a PhD?”?