My name is Hart Plommer and I am 25 years old. I was born in Kamloops, BC and now I am currently attending graduate school at Memorial University in Newfoundland. About 4 years ago I had to make a choice about what I wanted my life to look like – being dependent or independent.

Growing up I had a moderate to severe hearing loss that progressively got worse. I initially wore hearing aids in both ears, but my right ear was so poor by the time I was 9 that a hearing aid did not help in that ear. I never excelled in school until I reached high school. I was drawn to many different subjects, but eventually decided to pursue Chemistry in university because my high school teacher had been so enthusiastic and helpful. My first job was a stocking job at Safeway which kept me close to my other love – food (yes, I like to cook, but mostly eat!). It was there amongst the dairy coolers that I realized my hearing had worsened to the point that made it impossible to understand customers. I needed a cochlear implant badly, so I got one. I chose to be independent, rather than being dependent on others for understanding the spoken word. It made the jump to graduate school Chemistry exciting rather than a headache.

Right now my research in Green Chemistry is designing and synthesizing aluminum catalysts that will produce plastics from carbon dioxide (which the Earth has way too much of) or bio-derived monomers.

Besides everything food-related, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors whether it be cross-country skiing in the winter or camping in the summer.

A greeting, smile, and enthusiasm will take you a long way by establishing new friendships that lead to success (whether in your personal or professional life, as one inevitably affects the other). Above all, do what you love and excel in. Never give up – life isn’t supposed to be easy and it takes many tries to get something right.