First job? I cleaned construction trucks and mowed lawns for a construction company. I was 14. I got to drive a scooter out into the country – it     was fun to get out of town.

 Free time? I spend it with my family, on my bicycle, and doing a lot of woodworking.

Best part of your work? Prevention. Pediatrics is all about prevention: Vaccinating your children, making sure we don’t miss anything in growth and development. Kids are resilient, which is the best part of my work, because they bounce through illnesses really well.

Best advice you ever got? “Go adventure.” That was from my grandpa. I have this memory of being up north at our cabin and we got to just go do things all the time – we could go fishing whenever we wanted at a couple of different lakes. I vividly remember being eight and being allowed to wander the outdoors.

Why healthcare? It fit at the right time in my life. This is a second career for me – I have a degree in Horticulture, but I learned never to do a hobby for a living. I was working in a lab in the Med School in Duluth and started talking with the physician who does the rural outreach program and started hanging around with residents and asking questions, and it seemed to fit with what I wanted to do. I didn’t really choose this career early; it chose me later.

If not healthcare, what would you be doing? Building things. Probably related to houses or furniture.