“All my team members, who were identifying as men, were looking at me as someone hired only because of their perceived gender and not because of my competencies. And so I knew from the very first day that it would be a fight just to be recognized as a valid researcher among them. This threw lots of doubts on my first year.”

This week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind… is Cécile Deprez (they/them) and in this snapshot of our conversation for the podcast, they’re reflecting on the moment they landed their role as a scientific researcher at the prestigious German Aerospace Center (DLR), with expertise in satellite positioning and orbit determination. Assumptions, expectations & perceptions around gender is a common topic in this episode when it comes to Cecile’s career in STEM as well as their childhood & relationships.

When reflecting on their younger self, Cecile was convinced they didn’t have much of a personality yet clearly recalls their activist inclinations at an early age as they stood up for others. This is no surprise today as Cecile is also a public speaker on topics such as equality, representation & challenging microaggressions.

Cecile shares how they love their family deeply and how their coming out to them was a bit of a flop in the most loving way! Following a long fight against cancer, Cecile’s father opted for euthanasia and they speak about their father’s last wish for unity between their siblings. Their grandmother also chose assisted end of life and it was both beautiful & fascinating to me to hear Cecile talk about these last moments they shared.

I often ask my guests about failures that turned out to be the making of them - and Cecile’s experience of this is a powerful story of resilience & self-awareness. There’s tons more gems here including the importance of therapy, the power of words & Cecile’s adventures with their cat. Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE | This conversation covers topics such as mental health, euthanasia & loss among other sensitive issues so please take care of yourself whilst listening.