How long have I been a scientist?

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting some of the bright young students of St. Edmundsbury Church of England Primary School. One of many questions I was asked was by the USA Class: "How long have you been a scientist". Initially I answered that it was after I graduated from college, but that is not true - that was when I started to get paid as a scientist, but I was a scientist way before then. It didn't hit me until later, when I thought long and hard about that question. I believe that as kids when we start to learn about the world around us, ask questions, especially the "why" questions, we are already scientists! Many people lose that curiosity over time, but scientists retain that. 

Growing up, I wanted to learn more about forests and the animals, how the soil I stepped on looked like if we were to dig into it. As a kid I received my education through personal experience (long walks in the woods with our dog Sasha, making personal observations) or through nature documentaries, and asking lots and lots of questions of people around me. 

So, when did I become a scientist? The answer: I never stopped being one.