PhD Journal Of A Ghanaian Woman in Stem

As I wrap up this semester, I am taking some time to reflect on the past year as a scientist. It has been a memorable, yet trying year. I have felt disappointment and joy. I have been excited about my work, yet quietly questioned whether I belong in it. It is a strange combination of emotions to hold at once. In the midst of my doubts, I have been reminded constantly that I am meant to be here and I have a seat at this table. I am grateful for the lessons, and I am grateful for the wins.

Lessons

1. The PhD will try you. I knew going in that this journey would test me, but boy, little did I know how ‘trying’ that would me. I am still learning that failure is okay and that no matter how many times things don’t work, the only real move is to pick myself up and try again.
2. High expectations cut both ways. I hold myself to high standards and that makes ‘failure’ harder than it has to be. I am not exactly where I thought I would be by now, but I am so much further along than I was a year ago. I have grown incredibly as a person and a scientist and that’s worth celebrating.
3. The lessons matter as much as the outputs. The lessons I am learning as a scientist are equally as important, if not more than the outputs I expect from my work. I have learned to think critically, read broadly, troubleshoot and teach, and these are the biggest lessons I will carry into every stage of my career.

Wins

1. I am owning my science. I have mastered several techniques in my scientific field. That shift, from doing to owning, is a quiet kind of win, but it’s the one I’m proudest of. I am learning so much and am looking forward to applying these skills in my research.
2. I’ve gotten to mentor a student. I have been mentoring a student and that has been exciting for me. I enjoy teaching and talking to others about my science and that has been one of the major highlights of my year.
3. I was awarded my first grant. This semester I received my first grant to support my dissertation research. Honestly, it still feels surreal. I am grateful to have a mentor and community that pushes me and believes in my work.
4. Two poster awards. I have won two major poster awards this year, one in fall and one in spring. I’ve had the chance to present my work several times in between.
5. More presentations. I’ve been selected to give a talk at an upcoming conference in my field this summer and I looking forward to it!

The third year of a PhD has a reputation for being the hardest one. I will not pretend it wasn’t. But looking back at this list, what I see is a year that grew me, not always in the ways I planned, but in the ways I needed 🤍