I was absolutely astonished to see my face on the
CSHL Symposia website. I was just 25, and the 1978 CSH Symposium was my first EVER scientific meeting (I was a 4th year graduate student with John Cairns at the time). I am now 51 and often think about that meeting as it was a huge turning point in my life, and was what convinced me to have a serious career in science. This did indeed turn out to be the case! I am now the Director of the Center for Environmental Health Services and the Ellison American Cancer Society Research Professor.
![](http://library.cshl.edu/wp/vb/uploads/images/leona_samson.jpg)