As I prepare to finish my PhD, I find myself reflecting on the journey that lead me to where I am.
When I was in high school I wanted to study physics, chemistry, and biology, however I was told that I should choose easier subjects because I would never need these science subjects. Sadly, I think it’s common for girls to be discouraged from pursuing STEM fields from a young age, sometimes in subtle but insidious ways. This partially explains why women, who make up almost half of Australia’s workforce, account for only 29% of the STEM workforce. Instead, in high school I studied biology, drama, and legal studies. Unfortunately, because I attended a very religious Seventh Day Adventist high school, the biology education I received was questionable at best.
I finished high school in 2007 and started studying a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) in 2008, but I quickly realised it wasn’t for me. After my first year of study, I deferred my degree and went to work at a grocery store while I figured out what I wanted to do.
In 2011 I had a conversation with a good friend of mine, and we disclosed to each other that we both always wanted to be high school science teachers, but we both avoided pursuing this career path because we were told it would be a difficult career choice. After that conversation we decided to follow our dream together and we both applied to study a Bachelor of Education at university.
While submitting my application for university I realised I had the option to study a dual degree; a Bachelor of Applied Science/Bachelor of Education. I knew it would be challenging to study this dual degree for two key reasons: a) I had barely even skimmed high school science; and b) because it was a dual degree, I would need to take an extra unit each semester, resulting in an enormous workload. Regardless, I decided to go for it, telling myself that I could always drop one degree or the other if it was too much to handle (an attitude that’s frowned upon by my primary PhD advisor, but one that has helped me get as far as I have. More on that later).
Much to my surprise, I was offered a place in all the courses I applied for, including the Bachelor of Applied Science/Bachelor of Education dual degree. I accepted the offer and began my science journey in 2012.
To be continued.
