Taylor Gustafson

Student

Bay College junior and chemistry major Taylor Gustafson has only been taking classes at Bay for her current major for a few months. Despite this, she is far from a newcomer to the school.

In 2015, Taylor graduated from North Central Area Middle School/High School in Powers. That fall, she attended Bay as a radiography major. She went on to transfer to Northern Michigan University after the winter 2017 semester, but she did not stay there for long.

“I decided to come back to Bay because it was more affordable,” Taylor said.

Taylor started taking classes at Bay once again during the fall 2020 semester. She also switched her major with the long-term goal of going into the cannabis industry.

“I wanted to do something different, and I like chemistry, so it just seemed like the perfect fit for me,” she said.

Since she returned to Bay, Taylor has been focusing on chemistry and biology classes. She said things have been going smoothly for her so far, though she has had to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on her college education.

“It was way different doing all the online stuff,” she said.

Still, it has been easier for Taylor to get help from her teachers and tutors at Bay than it was for her to get help at a larger school.

“The classes are smaller, so it makes for a better learning environment,” she said.

After the winter 2021 semester, Taylor plans to transfer to Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, where she will switch her major to cannabis chemistry. Earlier this year, that college opened a brand-new facility known as the Cannabis Center of Excellence.

“They have millions of dollars of new equipment for the program,” she said.

She also said she appreciates how easy it is for students to transfer from Bay to LSSU. This is a result of a long-lasting partnership between the two schools, which also allowed for the creation of the LSSU Regional Center.

“You can do as many classes as you can at Bay, and they all transfer to LSSU,” Taylor said.

Taylor is aiming to earn a bachelor’s degree from LSSU over the next two or three years. After she graduates, she will start looking for a job in the cannabis industry.

“I think, right now, I’m just leaning towards research – doing more research or working at a testing center,” she said.