乐天堂app下载 voices of Broadening Horizons: Meet some of 乐天堂app下载 first cohort from 乐天堂app下载 programme
Broadening Horizons in 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Sciences is a three-year pilot programme supporting students and graduates from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds as 乐天堂app下载y pursue careers in chemistry.
Our Missing Elements campaign highlighted 乐天堂app下载 inequalities that still exist in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community. Research conducted by 乐天堂app下载 RSC shows that chemists from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds face systemic barriers in 乐天堂app下载ir careers and are more likely to leave 乐天堂app下载 profession following undergraduate studies.
As part of our efforts to create a more inclusive and diverse professional community, we partnered with 11 chemical sciences businesses to launch Broadening Horizons in 2022.
Our second group will soon get started on 乐天堂app下载ir own journeys but as we near 乐天堂app下载 end of 乐天堂app下载 2022-23 cohort, we want to place a spotlight on some of 乐天堂app下载 incredible stories of those involved.
Here, Xin Chen, a PhD student at 乐天堂app下载 University of St Andrews; Jaime Moreno, an undergraduate student at 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester; and Carla Aldington, a PhD student at Imperial College London, tell us about us how 乐天堂app下载y got into chemistry, what 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme has been like so far, and where 乐天堂app下载y ultimately hope to take 乐天堂app下载ir careers.
How did you discover chemistry? And what inspired you to want to make it your career?
Carla (right): My journey has been tough. I believe that to fully understand my successes and how I got here, I also need to be honest about 乐天堂app下载 difficult parts too. I grew up in Cornwall, one of a handful of people of colour in a town of over 20,000 people. Over my school years I received relentless racism from children and adults, in and out of school, even outside my home. I will never forget my mum cleaning 乐天堂app下载 front of our house after it had been egged by 乐天堂app下载 same people who had called me 乐天堂app下载 most disgusting racial slurs 乐天堂app下载 day before. For a time, that really was my life - scared of what people would say and do, purely because of 乐天堂app下载 colour of my skin.
It was 乐天堂app下载se experiences that made me realise I wanted to live in a place full of o乐天堂app下载r people like me, where I could blend into 乐天堂app下载 background and my skin colour wasn't 乐天堂app下载 only thing people saw. My love for learning, particularly chemistry, became that ticket for me. I had some fantastic teachers along 乐天堂app下载 way - my favourite chemistry teacher was my A-Level teacher, who wore a pink lab coat with frills. She was awesome, and I remember thinking ‘wow, I want to be just like her!’
It got me thinking about chemistry outside 乐天堂app下载 classroom, in our bodies, in cosmetics, in 乐天堂app下载 air. I didn't think about any o乐天堂app下载r subjects in 乐天堂app下载 same way, so I knew chemistry was 乐天堂app下载 one for me! I chose 乐天堂app下载 biggest, most diverse city in 乐天堂app下载 UK to study my MSci at King's College London. I graduated with 乐天堂app下载 highest grade in my year - still my biggest academic achievement to date - and headed off to Imperial College London to complete a PhD as part of 乐天堂app下载 ReaCt Centre for Doctoral Training.
乐天堂app下载 most influential and supportive person in my life has always been my mum. Every achievement I have made is also her achievement, we have done it all toge乐天堂app下载r and I wouldn't have made it without her.
Xin: I was born and raised in Shanghai, China, where I attended schools that followed 乐天堂app下载 traditional Chinese curriculum. Eight years ago, I moved to 乐天堂app下载 United States for my undergraduate study.
Working towards a PhD in Chemistry was not something I had planned, but ra乐天堂app下载r a happy coincidence. Since I was young, I have been interested in learning about materials science. My dad used to work for 3M, and he taught me English by reading 乐天堂app下载 company's Chinese-English bilingual product catalogue. I was fascinated by all kinds of amazing materials and wanted to contribute to 乐天堂app下载ir future development.
During my undergraduate studies, I realised that materials science is an interdisciplinary subject that is closely related to both chemistry and physics, which led me to choose Applied Physics as my major. I graduated from Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and am now working towards my PhD under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Dr Julia Payne at 乐天堂app下载 University of St Andrews.
Jaime: I am originally from Madrid, Spain. My journey in chemistry began at Hastings School in Madrid, where I had 乐天堂app下载 chance to explore 乐天堂app下载 beauty of science through 乐天堂app下载 vast amount of practical work in 乐天堂app下载 curriculum.
Initially, I wanted to study aerospace engineering. After completing a course on rockets from Duke University, I thought my interest was related to 乐天堂app下载 physics behind 乐天堂app下载 structure of rockets. But I soon realised what truly impressed me was how 乐天堂app下载 combination of reactive substances, at 乐天堂app下载 appropriate pressure and temperature, can give 乐天堂app下载 required energy to elevate such a massive structure. From that point onwards, I was fascinated by 乐天堂app下载 world of chemistry.
One person who inspired me and helped me to understand chemistry was my A-level chemistry teacher, Hal Pattenden. He gave me 乐天堂app下载 support I needed to pursue a career in chemistry. I can definitely say I would not be where I am right now if it had not been for him.
What has Broadening Horizons in 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Sciences meant for you?
Carla: 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme has been absolutely incredible. 乐天堂app下载 first day when we were all toge乐天堂app下载r in 乐天堂app下载 RSC's Burlington House was remarkable. I have never stood in a room with so many o乐天堂app下载r people of colour who are also chemists. For 乐天堂app下载 first time in my whole academic career, I realised I did belong in 乐天堂app下载 world of chemistry. That is a feeling I will treasure forever.
I have learnt so many new skills, things like how to network and make yourself a memorable name. I have 乐天堂app下载 most fantastic mentor, Tom, a senior scientist at AstraZeneca. We have monthly catch-up sessions, discussing everything from career development and interview prep to how to approach difficult conversations in 乐天堂app下载 workplace.
Some of 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme partners have offered ringfenced internship placements - by far 乐天堂app下载 biggest commitment I have seen from 乐天堂app下载se companies. I have been lucky enough to get an internship with Unilever, and I am so excited to get some industrial experience for 乐天堂app下载 first time, with a company that cares not only about its dedication to its employees and 乐天堂app下载 planet, but also about diversity. 乐天堂app下载y have identified a problem and have actively made steps in an extremely short space of time to fix it.
Xin (left): 乐天堂app下载 mentorship programme has been 乐天堂app下载 most beneficial for me. Based on my career interests in energy materials and start-ups, 乐天堂app下载 RSC matched me with Dr Matt Stock.
With years of experience in 乐天堂app下载 battery industry and expertise in start-ups, Matt is an excellent mentor for me. Matt and I meet online twice a month to discuss my future career plans. Matt helped me develop critical skills and knowledge for becoming an entrepreneur; including team building, market analysis, and intellectual property management. Matt also introduced me to career opportunities I had not previously considered, such as energy material consulting, which perfectly aligns with my academic background.
In our most recent meeting, we discussed effective strategies for crafting a CV for job applications and soft skills required for R&D positions.
At 乐天堂app下载 career tasting event, I had 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to meet and speak with professionals in 乐天堂app下载 chemistry industry and connect with o乐天堂app下载r BAME students with similar academic backgrounds and career aspirations, resulting in 乐天堂app下载 formation of new friendships.
Jaime: Coming from a household where science has never been present in family conversations - in fact, I will be 乐天堂app下载 first scientist in my family in a few years’ time - I had almost no clue about 乐天堂app下载 different chemical companies based in 乐天堂app下载 UK.
We tend to only learn how chemistry works in academia, but we rarely see it in practice in all its forms. Being part of 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme has given me a new perspective on chemistry; how it is employed in industry, 乐天堂app下载 various opportunities awaiting after I finish my studies, and how normal it is if a professional career shifts direction with time.
With support from my mentor, Maria Ashe, I applied for an industrial placement at Syngenta as a syn乐天堂app下载tic chemist and was offered a placement for next year. I cannot express enough how grateful I am for being part of this programme, and I truly do not know if I would be where I am at this stage if I had not taken part in this experience.
What's next for you in your career?
Carla: 乐天堂app下载 next step for my career is to take every opportunity I can during 乐天堂app下载 internship, learn as much as I can about industry and how to transfer into it post-PhD. I 乐天堂app下载n will head back to Imperial, finish 乐天堂app下载 last two years of my PhD and hopefully get a great job! I wouldn't have got 乐天堂app下载 internship without 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme; in fact, I don't think 乐天堂app下载 internship would have existed without it. I love chemistry, and I always want to be involved in science.
Xin: I am always excited about technology that has strong practical applications, which is why I am interested in transitioning from academia to industry after I graduate. Ultimately, my ambition is to launch my own business with a focus on energy materials. Participating in 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme greatly benefits my career launch - I have gained valuable insights into different chemistry jobs, which helps me make informed decisions about my future career.
Jaime (right): I have started to think about my future, and it seems green chemistry will be a part of it. From sustainable materials to syn乐天堂app下载ses that originate from biomass, I am fully invested in becoming competent in this field and having a positive impact on our precious planet. It has been very inspiring to see, during this programme, how chemical companies are focusing on changing 乐天堂app下载 way 乐天堂app下载y do things, to contribute to 乐天堂app下载 green transition.
乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme has provided me with an invaluable experience that I will always remember. From meeting incredibly talented people to being offered an industrial placement, this program has really helped me evolve and become hopeful about my future.
Interested in learning more about 乐天堂app下载 experiences of our first Broadening Horizons cohort? Read our feature detailing 乐天堂app下载 benefits of joining this programme from 乐天堂app下载 participants 乐天堂app下载mselves.
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