Note: Quin uses any pronouns and so I will be alternating my use of “he,” “they,” and “she” throughout the piece.

I’ve known Quin for a couple of years now, but always framed in a Zoom or Discord window, headphones on, yellow-gold walls behind him. We’ve gotten to know each other in online fandom spaces.  We’ve been playing the roleplaying game Monsterhearts with a group of friends for almost a year now, but we’ve never talked in depth about our lives. Given the opportunity to interview Quin for this project, I was excited to finally get to learn more. Now I know that Quin has known those walls for as long they can remember, having lived in the same house for 22 years.

Quin has curly, dark hair, glasses, an even voice, and a full-bodied laugh. She is a self-described jack of all trades, finding time to play video games, tabletop roleplaying games, and classical guitar, when not busy as a junior chemistry major. Despite being busy, they legitimately like all of the things that they do. She finds fulfillment in academic success and hopes to help publish a well-renowned research paper one day.

Born to first-generation Russian immigrants, growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Quin always thought he would have a future in the field of chemistry. Her parents are both paints chemists and he expected to follow in their footsteps. Early on, Quin was labeled a gifted kid, until their sophomore year of high school hit, and they cracked under the pressure. He was failing the class that had always been their focus: chemistry. Despite the falter of confidence, through the support of a beloved teacher, Quin found a love for chemistry outside of completing homework assignments, through an honest discussion of theory. When she enrolled in the University of Illinois, the subject matter wasn’t difficult, but the workload was overwhelming, and Quin struggled once again. Now, they’ve moved back home and are thinking about future careers where they can enjoy practicing what they’ve learned. After rambling to me about paint chemistry and particle accelerators, Quin jokes, “That’s what I love about science, it’s just like ‘Fuck it, why not?’” I’d say the same attitude goes for choosing jobs that bring you joy.

Ultimately, Quin gains fulfillment in seeing other people succeed. Quin tells me they want to be seen as approachable, that “As someone who’s been seen as abrasive, annoying [in the past], I would love to just been seen as someone who is open and can be talked to.” I’m glad, then, that I had the opportunity to talk to Quin, and I plan to reach out and talk with them again soon.