Harnessing the power of community to navigate biology education careers

ABSTRACT Academic careers are often thought of as having a traditional path that most faculty will follow, yet there are many unique ways that individuals enter and navigate through their academic careers. While I followed a particularly unorthodox pathway, along the way I benefited from several supportive and collaborative communities. There is power in finding your community, and my successes in microbiology education and research are directly related to the communities to which I belong. This work shares my academic journey, the communities that have supported me along the way, and discusses opportunities for other biology educators to find and harness the power of their own supportive communities.