Before completing her undergraduate studies, Sophie Hartley, a student in MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing, had an epiphany that was years in the making. "The classes I took in my last undergraduate semester changed my career goals, but it started with my grandfather," she says when asked about what led her to science writing. She'd been studying comparative human development at the University of Chicago, which Hartley describes as "a combination of psychology and anthropology," when she took courses in environmental writing and digital science communications.
"What if my life could be about learning more of life's intricacies?" she thought. Hartley's grandfather introduced her to photography when she was younger, which helped her develop an appreciation for the natural world. Each summer, they would explore tide pools, overgrown forests, and his sprawling backyard.
He gave her a camera and encouraged her to take pictures of anything interesting. "Photography was a door into science journalism," she notes. "It lets you capture the raw beauty of a moment and return to it later.
" Lasting impact through storytelling Hartley spent time in Wisconsin and Vermont while growing up. That's when she noticed a divide between rural communities and urban spaces. She wants to tell stories about communities that are less likely to be covered, and "connect them to people in cities who might not otherwise understand what's happening and why.
" People have important roles to play in ar.