Artistic Outlet Shines Light on Community Career Paths

In light of Valentine’s Day, we invited our community of scientists and researchers to embrace their creative side and join us for an evening of inspiration, connection, and illuminating career stories at our Candles and Conversations event. 

Tenants of Technology Enterprise Park (TEP) gathered in the fourth floor lobby to craft a personalized candle (as a heartfelt Valentine's Day gift) and engage in conversation with fellow peers about the unique journey that led them to their current role.

To kick things off, we asked attendees some introductory questions:

Based on their responses, it was a great opportunity for our left-brained participants to activate their creative juices – something everyone agreed was a nice change of pace. In fact, several employees in engineering and research shared that their workload is so significant that they often don't get to connect on a personal level or outside of work-related tasks, so this was a welcomed reprieve.

Conversations surrounding careers continued, with Abbott employees Logan Atcheson, Regulatory Specialist, and Jenna Settle, Senior R&D Specialist, discussing their professional journeys since graduating college. They, along with the rest of the group, pointed out that you rarely end up where you expect to. For instance, Logan shared that although he studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, he spends a good bit of his time on tech design.

Regardless of the paths taken, one thing was for certain – encouraging community members to go outside of their comfort zone and explore an artistic outlet with one another is always a good idea. By providing a fun activity and a low-stress environment, attendees were able to engage with one another and to explore topics that they wouldn't typically speak on otherwise. And it was a win-win for all, as we got to see new connections form and existing connections strengthen.