STUDENT FINDS HIS PASSION IN BLINN COLLEGE CHEMISTRY COURSE
Isaac Eason thought he wanted to become an engineer – until he became an engineer. It wasn’t until he came to Blinn College that he realized his life’s true passion.
A second-year student from Lumberton, Eason began his college career as an engineering major at Lamar University.
“I sat at a desk all day and looked at drawings,” he said. “It didn’t interest me as much as I thought it might. It’s a great career path, but it wasn’t for me.”
Eason’s grades began to sink and he decided to make a change. He reevaluated his passions and decided that his love for animals paired with his interest in science would make him the perfect veterinarian. Eason transferred to Blinn College with intentions of transferring into Texas A&M’s biomedical sciences program.
He made yet another self-discovery when he began Dr. Beverly Clement’s organic chemistry course last Fall.
“I fell in love with chemistry,” Eason said. “I took an independent research course and figured out that I could use both my head and my hands.”
Since transferring to Blinn, Eason has his sights set on transferring to Texas A&M and earning a graduate degree in chemistry. Eason has been so affected by his time at Blinn that his parents, Randy and Darla Eason, wrote a letter thanking Clement for inspiring their son.
“Isaac is a very smart young man, but, until now, he just couldn’t decide what he wanted to do with his life and career,” they wrote. “It means so much to us that you continue to take the time to help him find direction. We cannot thank you enough.”
On Friday afternoons this semester, Eason devoted more than 20 hours to improving the function of a gas chromatograph used for testing the purity of substances or separating components of a mixture. When a new computer was connected to the machine, the software no longer operated properly.
Eason downloaded three manufacturer manuals, each over 800 pages, and began to troubleshoot the issue with classmate Nathanial Wilson. The pair found the source of the miscommunication between the computer and the machine, uninstalled and reinstalled the software, disassembled the gas chromatograph and checked its major circuits for voltages and resistances and repaired leaks.
The gas chromatograph is back in service and operating better than ever.
“It’s invaluable experience,” Eason said. “This is what I want to do with my life—I know it will benefit me in the future as well as other students. They’re going to use these machines at other colleges and in their jobs. Taking on this project isn’t just helpful to me, it’s helpful to everyone else, too.”