Carthika Luxmanan

Being a female student in STEM with a young family to look after raised many eyebrows. Tongues wagged; words hurt. But I challenged myself. I wanted to prove that I could finish my PhD in Neuroscience while being a mother to four wonderful children, who all happened to arrive during my studies! It was hard: guilt, worry, tears, failure, humiliation. But also rewarding: love, gratitude, hope, which, oddly enough, helped me focus on my goal. Challenges and resistance come in different forms, but perseverance and attitude are key to success. I persevered and have not looked back. Persevere with attitude.

Alan Dove