Emily Graslie rose to prominence after creating the science based YouTube channel, The Brain Scoop. She also works as the Chief Curiosity Correspondent of The Field Museum in Chicago – a position offered to her due to the success of her YouTube videos. Her passion for science and education have made her a superstar on the internet and in the science community. She takes great pride in using her platform to share cool scientific findings, and her supporters can’t get enough. Since joining YouTube in 2012, her channel has gained over 550,000 subscribers and the numbers just keep going up. Continue reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Emily Graslie.
1. She Was Often Considered Disruptive In School
Judging by what she does for work now, many would probably assume that Emily was the type of student who never got in trouble. However, that’s not exactly the case. She told Girls Like You and Me, “My teachers did categorize me as disruptive at times. That was on a lot of take home notes to mom. I always was full of action, because if the teacher is talking about something, I want to have my own commentary of what the teacher’s talking about, or I feel like it’s an appropriate time to crack a joke to the person next to me. I had a lot of energy.”
2. She Studied Art In College
Emily is an artist at heart, and that’s exactly what she went to college to study. She attended the University of Montana where she earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art. Even though her career ended up taking a different turn, she still likes to draw and paint in her free time.
3. She Pretended To Be Color Blind
One of the reasons Emily was often disruptive in class is because she was born. In 7th grade, after getting frustrated with the fact that they were still doing coloring assignments, Emily told her teacher that she was color blind. Even though she isn’t actually color blind, she stuck with the story for many years until she started taking art classes.
4. She’s An Activist
Emily also sees science as a tool that can be used to empower women and minorities and she hopes to use her platform to do just that. She considers herself an activist and a feminist and she believes that the best way for her to set an example is to simply continue to work hard and educate others.
5. Her Parents Have Always Been Supportive
Emily definitely wan’t the type of person who knew what she wanted to do from a young age. The reality is she didn’t really have any idea what she wanted to do for a long time. However, she says her parents were always supportive of her and the things she took interest in. There’s no doubt that having a strong support system definitely makes things easier.
6. If She Could Have A Super Power It’d Be Time Travel
Do you know which super power you’d want if you could pick one? Emily Graslie knows exactly what she would pick. She says, “I think… Time travel…I’d love to go back and see what Europe was like… provided I don’t get the Bubonic plague. Go back into the Renaissance and see what was going on. Just use it to travel around the world and see different thing.”
7. She Loves Spending Her Free Time In Nature
Emily grew up spending a lot of time out doors. He family owned farms and ranches, and she was used to plating outside and exploring. This is something that has stuck with her until adulthood. When she has time off from work, she loves to hike, run, and walk local trails.
8. Her First Concert Was Three Doors Down
Most people have fond memories of the first concert they attended. Emily’s first concert was Three Doors Down and her memory of the show is actually hilarious. She says, “I was 11 or 12; and for whatever reason, I thought it would be appropriate for me to go dressed entirely in patriotic theme. So, what this meant was that I was wearing a shirt with an American flag on it, denim shorts and I had red, white and blue sneakers, and I had red white and blue bangle bracelets, beads and I wore a red white and blue visor.”
9. She’s An Award Winner
Emily and her work are widely respected from people both in and out of the scientific community. She’s earned several awards throughout her career including an American Alliance of Museum’s Nancy Hanks Award for Professional Excellence. However, no matter how much recognition she gets, Emily is determined to remain humble.
10. She Wasn’t Always Interested In Science
Science may be a huge part of Emily’s life now, but she wasn’t always interested in the subject. When she started her museum internship in college, she was only interested in studying specimens as subjects for her art work. However, she quickly became intrigued and the rest is history.
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