I'm Jenny Schlax.
I am a writer, dammit - and a scientist.
That’s not to say I haven't liked my day jobs. In fact, I had several day jobs I really enjoyed.
Of the 26 different jobs* I have had in my short (ahem) life, I have really
really liked a few of them.
I especially liked dying white satin shoes to match the
color of prom gowns at a shoe store inside the Riverside Tyler Mall when I was 16. I really
really enjoyed baking cookies in a shop inside the same mall while simultaneously
working at the shoe place – I gave coworkers from either place discounts at the
other, I hear it’s called “the princess discount,” however, this term is not
verified.
I didn’t mind working as a waitress at Chevy’s Mexican
Restaurant during college, eventually working my way up to
bartender, the Holy Grail of positions in any chain restaurant. During the same time period, I volunteered at
the UC Davis Raptor Center, where I worked several evenings a week aiding in
the rehabilitation of owls. That was really cool. I am a biologist dammit, not a
server.
After college, I drew
blood from the jugulars of cats and assisted in the removal of testicles
from dogs as a Veterinarian Technician in Santa Cruz. Moving on up to performing diagnostic tests on blood drawn from sick babies for the UC San Francisco Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Until, finally, I was published… As an assistant in two
eco-entomology research studies for UC Riverside that required I stand out in
the Inland Empire desert and count bite marks on the leaves of Datura
wrightii made by beetles, specifically Lema daturaphila. For two years I did this. Two very long years. And although this was a dream of
mine – being published, this process was my definition of Hell. I eventually
developed an allergy to the plant, almost killed myself in a chloroform incident in the lab, until ultimately I ran out of grant funding. Thank the universe.
Onward and upward to attending graduate
school at UC Santa Barbara, where I received my Master’s in Education within 13
short months. Thirteen of the hardest months of my life. Here I learned I could
essentially do anything I put my mind to, even if my body disagreed. Degree in hand, I only lasted one year
teaching in the public education system. They are a strong organization, so
that is all I will say about that.
I decided to leave my
one-year career in teaching to pursue a career in radio. A Dream Job!! Having
won a walk-on position through a month long on-air contest at a local Santa Barbara radio station, I proceeded to co-co-host a morning show, Monday through Friday, 6am to
10am. With two boys. Just me and the two guys… With partial payment given to me in free shows
and booze, 6am eventually became a difficult hour to be awake and entertaining.
The late nights, early mornings, and lack of income took its toll on me, and I finally
took my leave of this position after three years. At the time,
it was the longest I had ever stayed at one place. It was really that fun. I was just that tired. So, so
very tired.
I eventually moved on to Pharmaceuticals. Testing them, not
ingesting them. And I had a great stint managing Clinical Trials at a Medical Device company before they closed down their Santa Barbara office. Now I work fighting cancer by supporting clinical trials with Pharma Partners working towards developing targeted cancer treatment therapies. I'm kind of a cancer fighting ninja.
I also write. I don't get paid for it, but still I write.
I also write. I don't get paid for it, but still I write.
I write a recurring music
column for an online magazine (www.edhat.com).
I provide content for miscellaneous events and venues throughout Santa Barbara.
I write short non-fiction stories occasionally on my blog, with the hopes of pitching stories to some big time magazine or Oprah. She's considered a Santa Barbara local, so it could totally happen.
But that’s enough about me.