Success, like most things, is the result of hard work and dedication. In acclaimed geobiologist Hope Jahren’s memoir Lab Girl, Jahren aims for scientific success through work and commitment. A geobiology professor at the University of Hawaii, Hope Jahren studies plants and is known for her work in analysing fossil forests. Due to her hard work and dedication, She has received many awards and recognition, such as three Fulbright awards, a Donath medal, and the Macelwane Medal. In Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, my understanding of the drive to succeed is confirmed through Jahren’s perseverance and risks to achieve success.
The idea of being driven to succeed is evident and verified as Jahren cared more about prestige than payment. When she first started her own lan, Jahren offered to run analyses on oxygen isotopes for free for a reputable
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In a community filled with male scientists, Jahren was cast out as unworthy and dense. “[P]asty middle-aged men … regarded me as they would a mangy stray that had slipped in through an open basement window” (Jahren 129). Because of her gender, the other scientists treated her as though she did not and was not a real scientist. Despite being discriminated against, Jahren still continued with her work. She did not let others’ opinions discourage her. In fact, she became even more determined to succeed in her field. “Each time I returned … from traveling, I tried to throw myself into working even harder” (129). Not only was Jahren not affected by the other scientists’ comments and behaviours. In fact, she used them as her motivation. To show that she was a real scientist and was worthy, she worked harder and harder. She became driven to succeed not just for herself, but also to prove the others wrong. The fact Jahren did not let others’ comments deter her from her work and persevered shows the concept of the push for