This website shows only a small portion of my journey, namely the successful parts.
It does not show every graduate school, postdoc, and permanent position I applied to and was rejected by.
It does not show the mental ups and downs that accompany trying something new, thinking outside the box, finding myself at a dead end, and starting over again.
It does not show the personal struggles and trauma I’ve faced and continue to cope with.
Everyone’s path is far more complex than it appears on a curated website or CV. Finding success (however you choose to define it) is not mutually exclusive from many, many moments of being knocked down.
Just because your journey may look different from others, does not make you lesser than as a scientist or human.
I believe you belong.
Sincerely, Allison