Two alumnae of Notre Dame Belmont High School, Quinlyn Highsmith and Brooke Dunleavy, made a visit and spoke in my AP biology class this week. They are both genetic counselors and explained their day to day and experiences in their professions. As I listened to these presentations, I found them to be eye-opening and inspiring. It made me envision a future where I hope to be in a similar position in just a few years. I cannot wait for the day I find my true passion in science and be able to inspire high schoolers as these genetic counselors have.
Quinlyn Highsmith
Quinlyn graduated from Notre Dame Belmont in 2017 and received a master's in Genetic Counseling. I loved how at the beginning of her presentation she gave my class guidance on navigating college admissions and getting through college. Quinlyn mentioned how she did not have her career all planned out going into college and assured me that it is a normal, universal experience for many young adults. As a junior, I found this information extremely helpful because seeing where she is today makes me feel less stressed about not knowing what I want to do with my life when I consider where she is now.
Quinlyn's College Advice:
Stay organized/learn new ways to time manage
Meet with your advisor
Ask questions to professors
Take classes that both interest and challenge you
It is alright and completely normal to change majors!
Quinlyn explained the main reasons to see a genetic counselor:
Questions regarding a baby inheriting a condition
A family member recently diagnosed with a condition
Unexplained medical conditions/symptoms
She also provided examples of some cases she has worked with. One included a prenatal patient with whom I learned how alcohol and saunas can negatively affect the fetus. Alcohol can cause premature birth, low weight, behavior and learning issues, and communication problems. A sauna increases body temperature and can create heart and cleft defects. These are serious symptoms and help me better understand why pregnant women must be so cautious. Another case was a family who carried cancer and Quinlyn was able to trace that it happened to be all on the maternal side. She explained that when looking for a mutation, it isn't necessarily on one specific gene, but there can be several other factors.
I am so grateful that Quinlyn spoke to our class and enjoyed hearing some of her motivational takeaways:
Take your Time
Your Journey is Your Journey
Explore your interests
Brooke Dunleavy
Brooke graduated from Notre Dame Belmont in 2011 and currently works as a senior genetic counselor at Stanford Children's Hospital. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in biology then moved to Ohio State to continue her studies. Brooke recently had a kid She also highlighted the high demand for genetic counselors recently and how there has been a spike in hires over the past few years.
One particularly interesting case Brooke attended was about two sisters ages 16 and 20, who had Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). These girls had the physical appearance of a female but never had a menstrual cycle. Brooke explained that they had one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, making their genetic makeup male but because they had higher levels of testosterone than women normally do, the syndrome causes the body to be unresponsive to the hormones during puberty. Both of the sisters tested and discovered that they did not have a uterus. They looked female but their genetic makeup revealed they were male. It is important to not assume someone's sex but acknowledge how one identifies themselves as.
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