When Arielle Austin began her undergraduate journey at Buffalo State College in 2007, she envisioned a career as a high school biology teacher. However, through experiences in education, criminal justice, laboratory research, and field science, she discovered that her professional aspirations extended beyond the traditional career paths associated with a biology degree.

She knew she loved science, medicine, teaching, and competition. She wanted a career that would challenge her intellectually, reward hard work, provide financial opportunity, and allow her to make a meaningful impact. What she didn't know was exactly where to find it.

Following graduation, a conversation with a medical device recruiter led her down an unexpected path: Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Initially discouraged by the prospect of starting her professional career renting cars after earning a biology degree, Arielle ultimately embraced the opportunity. What followed was an invaluable education in sales, leadership, business management, and the importance of building a strong professional foundation.

After three years with Enterprise, she began pursuing opportunities in the highly competitive medical device industry. Her first medical device interview ended in rejection, but that setback was followed by a career-changing opportunity with Boston Scientific as an Interventional Cardiology Clinical Specialist. The position provided extensive clinical training, hands-on experience, and a foundation in cardiovascular medicine that would ultimately help propel her into one of the most specialized areas of medical device sales.

Today, Arielle works in Structural Heart at Medtronic, partnering with physicians and healthcare teams to support advanced cardiovascular technologies and minimally invasive treatments for patients with structural heart disease.

In "From Campus to Medical Device," Arielle returns to Buffalo State to share the unexpected decisions, professional challenges, setbacks, and opportunities that shaped her career. She will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the medical device industry, discuss what it takes to break into this competitive field, and demonstrate how a background in biology can open doors to careers far beyond the laboratory or classroom.  Please join us in SAMC 151 at 3:00 on Monday November 9th to hear Arielle's talk.

Her journey is a reminder that career paths are rarely linear, that rejection can lead to opportunity, and that sometimes the experiences that seem furthest from your ultimate goal are the ones that best prepare you to achieve it.