From Small Town to the Global Stage, My Journey in Veterinary Histology.

How Does a Small-Town Girl Suddenly Find Herself with a Large Social Media Platform, Speaking on Behalf of Technicians Everywhere?

I’m not exactly sure, but let me tell you how I got there.

My name is Kate. I grew up in a very small town in upstate New York, accompanied by my five beloved siblings and two sets of very encouraging parents. I had a wonderful childhood filled with love and many adventures all over the east coast. From a young age, I was always encouraged to pursue the things that I was passionate about.

My very first job was working as a tour guide in a cavern not too far from where I grew up. I met people from all walks of life, from all over the world too. The four years I spent in the dark (literally) prepared me very well for public speaking.

Towards the end of my high school years, I was at a loss for what career I wished to pursue. My amazing guidance counselor recognized my interest in both biology and art. She recommended that I consider a career in histotechnology, the perfect blend of art and science.

Now, at first, I wasn’t sold on this being my full-time career. I initially planned to get the degree, become certified, and work part-time while I pursued further education. But all that was washed away with my very first histology course. I was absolutely enamored by the beautiful artistry of the slides. Infinitely fascinated by the microscopic structures that create each of the organs. I wanted to learn as much about the tissues and stains as I possibly could. With each new skill I learned, I became more and more excited as to where this career might take me 🔬❤️

Fast forward through a brief stint working in an outpatient facility for humans, I eventually landed in veterinary histology. And my passion for the career increased tenfold, I had always been passionate about animals, so it made sense that I found my way into veterinary medicine. There are an infinite amount of things to learn in this field within histology. The variety in species creates an environment where you have the opportunity to learn something new every single day.🔬

As for my social media page, that began in the early fall of 2018. The photo album of slide pictures on my phone was slowly filling up, and I decided it might be fun to post some on Instagram. My first few followers were just friends and family that I (almost forcefully) encouraged to follow the page. And for a couple years that’s all it was, a receptacle for my extra pictures with a few likes here and there from those close to me.

All that changed one day in June of 2021 when my page caught the attention of Olympus Life Science (now called Evident Life Sciences). With my permission, they reposted an image from the GI tract of a Tegu. Almost overnight I saw the followers come pouring in. Over the coming months, they reposted more and more of my images, leading to my following growing by the thousands. From there, I was able to meet and collaborate with many different histology/pathology professionals. 📈🔥

“From a simple photo album to a global community, my journey has been incredible.” 🌎✨

Suddenly I wasn’t just sharing these pictures with close friends and family. I was sharing them with people from all over the world. And since then I have connected with so many amazing professionals, from all walks of life. I’m infinitely grateful for this platform I’ve built, and for those who’ve supported me along the way 🙏💕

Stay tuned for more microscopic wonders and histology adventures on my Instagram!