I knew I wanted to go into academia but wasn’t sure what I wanted to research. MIT Biology gave me the freedom to explore and personalize my graduate training. I joined the Martin Lab because I would get to start a new research program from scratch, establishing the mouse as a model system to study tissue folding during development. Research is not a solitary endeavor, and graduate school is so much more than just doing research in your lab. I’ve really enjoyed working in a community that gives me the space and support to learn the skills I need to succeed at my own pace (and will also eat my extra pastries).