Fiona Beyerle ’21 chose the biology major at UC Davis for her interest in evolution but wasn’t sure what career path she would follow. She sought to explore a wide range of interests in school and now draws from her diverse work and education background as an international sales associate for a biotech company.

During her undergraduate years, Beyerle was involved in multiple extracurriculars, in an effort to broaden her experiences and exposure to different skills and fields of work. “I think something Davis really shines in is allowing people to explore interests,” she said.

Beyerle was interested in writing, and pursued that interest through her art history minor and her involvement in STREAM, a group of student interns that help run social media channels for UC Davis. She found relief from the structured STEM classes through podcast-making and article writing. Beyerle was also a mentor for the Biolaunch Collective, a university-run program that guides first-year biological science students through mentorships, and she is still in contact with some of her mentees today. 

After graduation, Beyerle said she struggled with transitioning out of a structured academic life into defining her life outside of school. She did brief stints as an au pair in Andorra, and as a temp in a lab. “It's like you kind of have to find a new identity in a way. I wasn’t a student anymore,” Beyerle said. 

In 2022, she landed a position at San Diego-based BPS Bioscience Inc, a biotech company that focuses on drug discovery products and services. Beyerle is now part of an international business team that helps bridge the communication gap between sales professionals and scientists. She added that her science and communication background helps in her work with company partners around the world.

For the future, Beyerle said she also wants to travel more. She has been to 20 countries so far and wants to go to Greece next. “I really just value learning and learning about the world, so I think just any opportunity where I get to do that and help people would be something I would want to pursue,” she said.