Answer from "Newton", a Ceramic Engineer:
The greatest influence I have had to help me decide what career path to take has been my teachers. My high school physics teacher was very supportive and made science really fun. She made me want to learn more about physics and engineering. When I was in college I had a similiar situation with several of my professors. They were very supportive about my career choice and were always there when I needed advice.

Answer from "RadVet", Veterinarian
James Herriot. He is an author of several books about being a country veterinarian in England. The first book in the series is called "All Creatures Great and Small". I read them when I was about 12 years old and loved them! James Herriot started it all, and then I met the veterinarian that treated my mom's cattle. (I had just finished high school and was enrolled in the community college in town.) She was a small blonde woman and it occurred to me that I could be a veterinarian. So I guess there were two people that influenced my career choice.

Answer from "monkeymanager", Zoo Curator
Many people have influenced me to get involved in working at a zoo. When I was younger I used to read about Jane Goodall and want to be like her. As an adult I volunteered at the zoo and was influenced by some of the people that worked there. The woman who ran the education department at the time encouraged me to be a zoo keeper since she knew how much I liked the gorillas. Another friend who was a zoo keeper at the time also encouraged me to apply for a position back in 1989 when the Tropical Forest exhibit at Franklin Park was first opening.

Answer from "Starry Night", a Computer Scientist:
When I was in high school, I really, really wanted to be a doctor. But, all of my math teachers wanted me to be an engineer. I had the impression that all engineers were "geeks" and I wanted nothing to do with that. Fortunately, I ended up taking anatomy in high school and my teacher introduced me to a new program in biomedical engineering. It was a middle ground of something that I desired to do and something that I was good at. If it wasn't for him, I would never have become an engineer and learned that not all engineers are "geeks" and some are actually pretty cool people.

Answer from "Wings", a Biologist:
A college mentor whom I met as a senior in high school, is probably the most influential for my specific career. In general, my mother, who wanted any daughter of hers to be able to stand on her own two feet financially, and not depend on a man for her financial well-being. (Since my mother completed her own education when I was about 15, there was a span of years when she was totally dependent on my father, with several small children, etc.) Interestingly, it is my husband, who has been laid off in the high tech industry since last July, who is now depending on me. It is reassuring to know that I have a good steady job with good benefits so I can support both of us when he is out of work.

Answer from "Researcher", a Physiology Researcher:
The biggest influences on me were definitely my parents. They always encouraged me and my sister in every way and never even allowed us to think for one second that we should feel limited by our gender. Their motivations for doing so were actually very different. My mother was never encouraged in her education by her own parents, although they did encourage her brother. Because of this, my mother decided that she would raise her daughters to feel that we had the ability to do anything that we wanted to do. My father was one of 6 kids (3 boys and 3 girls). His own parents were very enlightened and encouraged all of their children equally in math and science. My father and one of my uncles obtained advanced degrees in science. And the girls? Two have master's degrees, and one is a physician. And these women were educated back in the 1950's and 1960's! So, both of my parents have been instrumental in encouraging and supporting my sister and me throughout school and our careers. More importantly, however, I think that they instilled in us a sense of self-confidence. We never had any doubts that we were as smart as the boys and had just as many options open to us.

Answer from "Dame Cod", a Marine Scientist:
I guess it all started with my biology teachers in middle school (7th through 10th grades). Also I used to watch the Jacques Cousteau special on TV. He was a famous Marine scientist that was so popular he got to do TV specials. There was one serial special called the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (as though it belonged only to him!!!). I found it fascinating and very beautiful. This all led me to try and find a job in Marine Science when I moved to Boston with my husband 14 years ago.

Answer from "stargirl", an Astronomer:
My parents always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted (career-wise!). I had a lot of great science teachers in junior high and high school (men and women) so that helped a lot. But I can't say that any astronomer in particular made me want to go into this field.

Answer from "Leak Lady", a Structural Engineer:
My dad (even though he is a lawyer, he though it was cool that I wanted to be an engineer and in construction), and my high school teachers who helped me in a construction class and a drafting (drawing) class. I also had a professor in engineering school who suggested I study historic preservation to better understand old buildings.

Answer from "Madam Cure-y", a Biochemist:
I was influenced by my family and my teachers along the way. My family, particularly my Mother, always challenged us to be curious and to ask more questions. I think that this gave me a love of discovery. This love has lead me to be a scientist because I can always search for new answers. As I got older, my teachers showed me their love of their subjects. They showed me how to really enjoy science by asking good questions and finding out answers.

Answer from "bathy", a Marine Biologist:
I am lucky because I have always received support from my family and teachers to pursue science. However, until my junior year of college, I planned on going to medical school. That year, I took a course in evolutionary biology that completely changed my perspective on biology and resulted in my decision to rethink career paths. The class was based on current research and views in the field, as opposed to just reading a textbook, and had a demanding lab schedule; it was the most challenging class I had ever taken. I changed advisors to the professor of that course and began thinking about entering a Ph.D. program in biology; I decided to do independent research that summer instead of medical internships and worked in a natural history museum. My senior year of college, I took my advisor's other course in evolution, conducted independent research in his lab, and was a teaching assistant for his introductory evolution and ecology course. His enthusiasm for biology, as well as his own research, and his commitment to encouraging students to think independently and critically directly influenced my decision to pursue a Ph.D. instead of medical school.

Answer from "vet_in_04", a Veterinary Student:
I guess I'd have to say my next door neighbor when I was a kid influenced me the most. She had every pet imaginable...hermit crabs, dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish...everything! I got so jealous, I just said one day I wanted to be a veterinarian so I'd HAVE to be with animals all day long. Who knew I'd actually follow through on that when I became an adult? I also have to give some credit to the veterinarians I've worked for in the past. They helped shaped what my perceptions about veterinary medicine were, and ultimately helped me find out that it was what I really wanted to do. Last but not least, I have to thank my parents for encouraging me every step of the way and believing in me enough to let me pursue my dream.

Answer from "BioEng", Biological Engineer:
My father was always my biggest supporter to be a scientist, but 20 years ago bioengineering was just starting as a field so I just slowly got involved by learning what I need to study in order to work with medical devices.

Thanks to Meghan from Healey Middle School for submitting this question!