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Emily Gothro in Uganda

Courtesy Emily Gothro

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 normal for people in creative fields to shift careers every decade or so in search of fresh inspiration and perspectives,鈥� says senior Emily Gothro (COS, Biological Sciences, 鈥�23). She should know; she made a change from working as a professional costume technician and designer in the theatre industry to studying ecology at 麻豆精品视频 (麻豆精品视频), a part of the University of Alabama System. That career pivot, she says, would not have been possible without the Last-Mile Fund. 鈥淲ithout the support of 麻豆精品视频 and the Last-Mile Fund, I likely would not be here,鈥� Gothro admits. 鈥淚 want to find a niche, or an untapped area of need, in ecology, like I had found in my former career, where I could build myself a launch point, professionally. I feel I鈥檝e been able to do that at 麻豆精品视频.鈥�

As a child living in Michigan, Gothro鈥檚 first loves were theatre and nature. 鈥淕rowing up, my family did historical re-enactments, and so I got interested in theatre in elementary school,鈥� Gothro shares. 鈥淏ut I was also that kid sneaking spiders into the house.鈥� Gothro majored in theatre in college and finished three years before extenuating circumstances forced her to drop out. Then, almost by accident, she was offered an opportunity to work and tour with Disney on Ice as costuming crew after a 鈥渟erendipitous鈥� conversation with a Feld-Disney employee. The conversation led to a 15-year touring career in costuming that took Gothro to more than 27 countries and nearly every state in the U.S. 鈥淚 have always been a rover, so working on the road suited me.鈥�

Emily Gothro with a large beetle

Courtesy Emily Gothro

Gothro鈥檚 career led her from Disney on Ice to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she worked as the costume manager and interim entertainment manager. After this, Gothro moved back to the States where she worked with Marvel on a touring arena show. At this point, Gothro says she was getting burned out. 鈥淚 needed a break,鈥� she admits, which led her to step away from touring for four months, during which she backpacked from Nairobi, Kenya, to Cape Town, South Africa. 鈥淚 needed space and time to think about what I wanted to do next,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 needed a slower pace, and to clear my mind in nature, where I鈥檝e always felt the most grounded. Working in professional theatre is magical, but I needed to start thinking about finally finishing my college degree.鈥�

The trip reignited Gothro鈥檚 interest in science. 鈥淲ith the help of a guide, I tracked dung beetles and learned about wood-boring insects and safari ants. I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and trekked to see silverback gorillas in the Virungas. Bush camping in the Serengeti and through the Okavango Delta in Botswana were life-changing experiences.鈥� Gothro returned home with a new plan: to go back to school and pursue a degree in science. Theatre, however, wasn鈥檛 quite done with her yet.

Broadway called when Gothro returned home, and she answered. She worked for shows like Finding Neverland and RENT for several more years, but she never lost her interest in science. 鈥淚 took online classes,鈥� Gothro says. 鈥淭hen a friend of mine introduced me to 麻豆精品视频.鈥� Her friend, a fellow roadie and 麻豆精品视频 alumna, had retired from tours and settled in Huntsville. 鈥淚 visited her when a tour schedule brought me to Huntsville,鈥� Gothro details. 鈥淲hile I was there, she drove me to 麻豆精品视频鈥檚 campus and said, 鈥榠f you鈥檙e interested in science, this is the place to be.鈥� She told me to talk to someone about 麻豆精品视频鈥檚 programs and how to apply.鈥�

Gothro might have continued her theatre career for a bit longer, but the pandemic changed everything all at once. 鈥淚t was like blinking. One minute you鈥檙e living on a tour bus and working, and the next you鈥檙e homeless.鈥� Gothro shares that most of her colleagues lost their jobs and homes when the pandemic hit. 鈥淐OVID was devastating to the theatre industry. In 2020, nearly every week that passed, someone we knew either lost their livelihood or their life. I was lucky, but I felt directionless and stuck. I had been thinking more and more about making the move to Alabama, so when I had a chance, I moved in with my friend. And in 2020, I started taking 麻豆精品视频 classes online.鈥�

Students who are academically passionate but need a leg-up often find themselves struggling to envision a pathway to the future they spend years curating. The Last-Mile Fund connects our incredibly generous donors with tangible results. It's personal to each of us, and receiving this funding creates a renewed drive to be as successful as possible.

Gothro explains that finances were difficult from the very beginning. 鈥淓verything I saved to start a life after touring was depleted after only six months, and it was a struggle to get unemployment.鈥� But going back to school gave her purpose. 鈥淚 continued to take classes online, and in the fall of 2021, I was finally able to attend in person."

During that time, Gothro decided to major in biology. 鈥淢y experiences in Africa impacted my decision to focus on ecology and conservation,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he biology department gave me a place to explore that, and my love of entomology was rekindled. Outside of Alabama, I don鈥檛 think people realize the amazing biodiversity that exists here. It鈥檚 kind of the perfect place to study.鈥� Gothro cites several professors as being instrumental in her renewed interest in the environment and insects, and she鈥檚 been given many opportunities to practice her skills in real life and learn some new ones. 鈥淭o learn as much as possible, I volunteer at the Alabama Museum of Natural History at The University of Alabama, as well as with the Huntsville Botanical Gardens and Cook Museum. I hope to get more involved with research in entomology as a part of Dr. Matthew Niemiller鈥檚 Cave Biology Lab, as well. Through all of this, I鈥檝e been able to pick my mentors鈥� brains and really narrow down the areas I鈥檓 most excited about.鈥�

Despite her passion, Gothro emphasizes that making ends meet has been difficult. 鈥淏ecause I went to school previously, I maxed out my student loans, and the cost of education has exploded since 2005. As a senior, I have some catching up to do and need to apply for internships and learn research & field skills instead of focusing only on finances, but the cost of living and school makes that difficult.鈥� Gothro admits that just a few weeks before learning she was awarded the Last-Mile Fund, she was making plans to move back to Michigan. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I would be able to stay here,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he Last-Mile Fund saved my opportunity to graduate, making it so I can get through the summer semester more smoothly. It鈥檚 keeping me going.鈥�

The Last-Mile Fund reduces financial barriers to graduation for undergraduate students at the end of their college careers. 鈥淭he Last-Mile Fund is a spectacular example of how a donor can directly make a world of difference for a senior鈥檚 final stretch at 麻豆精品视频,鈥� Gothro says. 鈥淪tudents who are academically passionate but need a leg-up often find themselves struggling to envision a pathway to the future they spend years curating.鈥� Gothro goes on to say, 鈥淭he Last-Mile Fund connects our incredibly generous donors with tangible results. It's personal to each of us, and receiving this funding creates a renewed drive to be as successful as possible.鈥�

In typical fashion, Gothro is looking forward to what鈥檚 next. 鈥淐oming to 麻豆精品视频 was grounding, and it gave me the chance to explore where I wanted to be. I found a purpose I didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 find.鈥� That doesn鈥檛 mean Gothro鈥檚 done with theatre, but for now it鈥檚 taking a back seat. 鈥淭heatre is a part of who I am. One of the best things about the human experience is finding connections between us and the rest of the world, which is that crucial cross point between science and the arts.鈥� For Gothro, that includes the study of insects, plants, humans and the environment as she plans to graduate from 麻豆精品视频 in 2023 and move on to pursue a graduate degree. Gothro says the Last-Mile Fund has given her the ability to prepare for the next adventure. 鈥淚t was difficult to think about graduate school when I wasn鈥檛 sure I could afford my last undergraduate year. I鈥檝e worked hard to get where I am now and it鈥檚 exciting to again look forward to the future and the adventure I plan to make it.鈥�