23 - Believing that the impossible is possible: my story of being supported to succeed

Summary

My journey through education did not originally focus on the traditional sciences in school. It was the support of others, as well as the opportunities and experiences that changed this for me and led me to the field I am now in. At A- level I studied Media, Performing Arts and Psychology. My undergraduate was in Psychology and I failed a final- year module called ‘Brain Imaging’. On paper, I am not the typical student to go on to do a PhD. My post- graduation plans were changed as a lecturer was impressed and convinced me to stay to do a master's in Cognitive Neuroscience. This provided me with the tools to apply for a PhD, where I was offered two studentships. Having someone see the bigger picture and believe in you is so powerful for self- belief and ambition. Taking these opportunities and working through these educational spaces, you witness the lack of representation as a whole. Being privileged in that position can weigh heavily on an individual for a range of reasons, and preparing to deal with those can be tough.

In today's society it is often assumed that you will attend university after finishing your mandatory education. Most prospective students are encouraged to choose a broad subject and not to constrain their future prospects by studying something that is too specific. And so some students do just that: they attend, get their degree and explore the working world with their qualifications. I was a little different. At the time when I undertook my undergraduate studies, I wanted to become a child psychologist and I knew that I needed to earn the ‘Dr’ title in order to do so. What I did not understand was the path to get there. This prompted me to apply for a placement year (an excellent decision that was largely pushed by the university), where I would gain experience working as an honorary clinical psychologist for the National Health Service. I did not enjoy this role and quickly realised my image of what I thought a psychologist was was incorrect. When I returned to my final year of study, I was unsure how to move forward. I knew I wanted to be abroad, and so I applied for a government teaching role in Hong Kong and was ready to station my life in Asia while occasionally travelling around in my spare time.