Today, astrobiologist Andrew Steele has a career that's well suited for him, but the British scientist didn't always know what he wanted professionally. Following his interest in biology, Steele pursued advanced degrees in biochemistry and microbiology. Uncertain where these degrees would lead him, he simply took the path he enjoyed. In the process, he kept doors open for possibilities. Then, in 1996, Steele heard of a 'geezer' from NASA who claimed he had found life on Mars from a bacteria-ridden meteor. Having received his PhD. just three weeks earlier, an excited Dr. Steele called up NASA and promised better images of the sample. Because Steele had previously done some high-powered imaging of bacteria, NASA sent him a piece of meteorite for him to study. After receiving his research, NASA. was so impressed with his work that they invited him to join their team. Steele, with his long, wavy hair pushed haphazardly from his face with a thin, red headband, looks more like the guitarist for a heavy-metal band than an astrobiologist. But he's happy. Steele is nothing but genuine smiles and purple latex gloves. When dealing with conformists, Steele says, I sort of object to systems that pigeon-hole you early on into saying you must decide, now, what you need to do. That's a load of BS. So why is Steele so happy? Because he stuck with what he enjoyed. Keeping that in mind, Steele was active in exploring his interest in biology, which has lead him in the right direction.