Equivalent Too

My guest, an academic and entrepreneur in Healthcare, grew up in a war zone and was heavily influenced by the selflessness of the doctors she witnessed there.  She believes that  healthcare should not be reserved for the wealthy, yet we take the healthcare system in the west, so much for granted.

We discuss nature vs nurture for education, admitting that she has a strong work ethic thanks to the open-minded support of her parents. 

What drives her is her striving to fulfil a bigger purpose in life.  In her lifetime, she wants to see the impact she is making on others.  She is on a path of self-discovery, and knows what motivates her now, and appreciates that, that could change with time. 

Her attitude is wise, believing that you don’t have to achieve the best, but you should allow yourself to enjoy all experiences, in the hope that they will make you a better person.   She accepts that where will be dead-ends in learning about oneself, but that is what experimentation, adventuring and being open to new opportunities is all about - making mistakes.  For my guest, if someone tells her she can’t do something, it drives her further.

We discuss this and so much more, this week on Scilence.  

My guest this week, is small in physical stature, but has the determination and boldness of a giant.  She's a mother, leader, wife and friend, who balances all those roles with such grace and optimism.  She believes that we should never diminish ourselves to fit under somebody else ego.  In fact, she would push herself and her abilities, in order to turn skeptics into allies.  

She's a true polymath and urges us to 'find what you love'.  In her case it was chemical engineering, but she was also fuelled by her willpower to prove the stereotypes wrong - she saw it as a positive challenge, rather than an unfortunate struggle!  She's always had razor sharp focus to get what she wants and would never allow other peoples opinions deviate her from her own path.  

Fulfilling your truest potential has been front and centre for her, and yet this week's guest is able to enrich the lives of so many others within STEM, by being a living example of kindness and service towards others through the world of engineering.  

This week on Scilence,  my guest confesses to being lousy at mathematics, yet her passion and enthusiasm for STEM is infectious.  Despite being quite young, she talks about the importance of being talked to like an adult and the dangers of women feeling objectified.

It's all about attitude, and she conveys an attitude like Teflon.  She knows herself so well, that she doesn't care what others think about her.  She attributes these perspectives to her parents who have never failed to provide her with encouragement, support and love - which she believes has made all the difference to her success.  

The conversation leads to topics of perfectionism, enjoying the journey and anxiety.  Concluding that happiness, which is nothing to do with materialism, is her primary life aim.      

This week, I'm delighted to be chatting to a fellow 'spreadsheeter'.  I've never met anyone as enthusiastic about spreadsheets as me!  My guest, a pure mathematician, smashes through the stereotypes that girls are not good at maths.  As a result of leaky pipelines for women in mathematics, she describes the pressure placed on her to increase the visibility of women within her academic field.  

She's happy to take on this additional work, she just wishes she did not have to.  Nevertheless, its the abundance of creativity, beauty and support in maths that keeps her passionate.  We talk about failure, the futility of competition, collaboration and finding her 'maths mom'...All essentials for surviving and thriving in such an abstract discipline. 

On Scilence this week, my very young guest has complete clarity of heart and mind, on the direction of her career.  Her clear direction came from exploring her passion early on, which led her to gain a strong belief in her skills and talent in chemistry. 

As a result, she has the internal conviction to deflect the doubt and insecurities of others, particularly on being a young woman in STEM.  She has had a natural talent for the subject, but mostly she has worked hard; been persistent and put herself out there.  She has learned the art of following-up and being assertive. 

For one so early on in her career, she already has a plan in her mind, as to the path her studies will take.  She boils that down to the countless college Application Forms she has filled out, which forced her to think about the plan ahead. 

Scientists are superheroes, she believes, but in my opinion, it's my guest's balanced, confident attitude of gratitude, that really makes her a true winner.

This week on Scilence:  My badass woman in Chemistry challenges me on my use of the word 'selfish'.  We discuss if it's selfish to want, have or not have children.  Having been raised by her grandmother, my guest is determined to break generations worth of limitations and constraints caused by outdated attitudes towards women.  

My guest arrives at her own conclusions, of focussing on what she wants out of life, working hard; living with uncertainty and enjoying what she does.  My chemist admits that she is a highly emotional being, and it's her emotions that have influenced the career choices she has made.  But they have also shown her that she cares very much about making an impact through STEM.  

Best of Scilence Q2 - final episode:  

To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the the most poignant sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes.  Each day for the past six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 13-26.  

Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of #womeninstem!

Enjoy!

Day 5:  To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes.  Each day for a total of six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 13-26.  

Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of #womeninstem!

Enjoy!

Day 4:  To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes.  Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.  

Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!

Enjoy!

Day 3:  To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes.  Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.  

Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!

Enjoy!