Christi: Welcome back! Last time I interviewed Brennen Goodin and heard that he is in a big TPS alumni family. Then why not interview one of his siblings! Today I will meet Elyse Goodin, Brennen’s younger sister. Before she comes, let me read her personal file.
“Elyse Goodin started her TPS journey in 2010, and graduated in 2017. After high school, she went to the University of Louisville and got a bachelor’s degree in biology. Graduating in 2021, she then started at Bellarmine University to get a master’s degree of Health Science in Medical Laboratory Science. In May of 2023, she graduated from Bellarmine University, and currently works at a local hospital in the clinical laboratory in Indiana. Her favorite place to go to is the beach at Destin, Florida. She has gone there many times with her family and always has a great time relaxing at the beach and pool. In her TPS career, she worked as a Mod Squad for 3 years. And she…” Wait a second, what is a Mod Squad?
Christi: Oh hey Elyse! Glad to see you! How’s your day?
Elyse: Hi Christi! I’m a little tired cause I just got back from laboratory. But overall, pretty good.
Christi: Great! I was reading you personal file, and I saw you worked as a Mod Squad in TPS. What is that?
Elyse: That was the name for the forum moderators at the time.
Christi: Oh I see! It’s interesting to hear that there was forum moderator in TPS before, I don’t think we have student moderators now, so can you share what is that position?
Elyse: The student forums were a bit different back then compared to now. There were usually around eight to ten student moderators every school year. I became a student moderator in 2014, and essentially the moderators made sure that students followed the site agreement and the code of conduct. It’s really interesting, and I loved doing that. It became one of my favorite memories in TPS. Through the forums I met a lot of friends that I still keep in touch with to this day!
Christi: Wow, sounds cool! Do you have other fond memories from TPS?
Elyse: Yeah, I had some wonderful classes that I took, such as AP Calculus with Mrs. Crosby, English 6, and French 1 with Madame Orsini. I also graduated with TPS at Miracle Mountain Ranch in June of 2017. That week was extremely special because I got to meet so many people that I talked to on the TPS forums.
Christi: What qualities or abilities do you feel TPS has shaped in you?
Elyse: I think TPS put a very strong emphasis on discipline, which was extremely helpful in college. Many people struggle in college because they do not know how to study or how to manage their time. TPS taught me how study efficiently and how to manage my time when I had multiple classes with material that I needed to study.
Christi: Yeah, totally agree. If I don’t manage my time wisely, I have to stay up late to catch up or receive the late penalty. Now that you’re graduated for a few years, what do you wish you had done while you were a student back in high school?
Elyse: I wish I had taken more language classes with TPS! I only had the opportunity to take French 1 in my senior year, but I really wish I could have taken more French throughout high school.
Christi: Let’s talk about your life after high school. What are some college experiences that really influenced you?
Elyse: When COVID-19 happened and I was forced to stay at home instead of commuting every day, it was reminiscent of being in TPS. I was used to working remotely and setting my own schedule while having live classes. So even though many other people struggled with their schoolwork during that time, I was able to do very well in my classes.
Christi: Wonderful! What made you interested in biology and the medical field, and why did you choose to major in that?
Elyse: I became interested in the medical field after taking Anatomy and Physiology through TPS back in 2015! I picked to major in biology because I wanted to go to medical school to become a doctor, but about halfway through college I realized I was no longer interested in that path. Instead, a family friend told me about Medical Laboratory Science, which is what I ended up doing in graduate school.
Christi: It is really wonderful to see that how God leads everyone to the path He has prepared for them.
Elyse: Yeah, and sometimes things did not go the way we originally thought they would, but when looking back, we would feel very grateful to God. I really like what I am doing now.
Christi: Can you describe what you do in the clinical laboratory in the hospital?
Elyse: The general laboratory runs all kinds of different tests on a wide variety of specimens. I specifically work in the microbiology department, so I work with viruses, bacteria, and fungus in my department. We look at cultures from a lot of different sources including blood, throat, anaerobes, wounds, and more. We also perform respiratory panels which look for a wide variety of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 or Rhinovirus. I really like what I am doing because it is very hands-on, and I know I can help people even if they don’t see me while they are in the hospital.
Christi: Could you describe your graduate school life in a few words?
Elyse: It was a full and exhausting experience, but also very rewarding! My degree required five semesters of schooling, and every semester had its own challenges. But I would not have done anything differently!
Christi: Cool! Let’s talk about your hobbies.
Elyse: Sure. I am a huge reader! I love all kinds of books, but specifically young adult books. Another thing I like to do is junk journaling. It’s where you use stickers, washi tape, scrapbook paper, and whatever other kinds of craft materials you want to use and create a page in the journal based on a theme or a color or anything else! I find it relaxing.
Christi: Wow, junk journaling sounds interesting! Last question, what advice would you give to younger students?
Elyse: Don’t get over-stressed by homework or exams. I definitely had times where all I could think about was a certain test or a presentation I had to give, but everything turned out fine in the end. Philippians 4:6 is a good reminder of this.
Christi: Thank you Elyse. This is really a very practical suggestion, and the verse you shared is very encouraging!
Elyse: You’re welcome. Thanks for the interview! It was really fun, and I love talking about some of my past experiences in TPS!
Photo Credit: Elyse Goodin
We actually do have 4 student mods right now
we do?