It is still hard to believe that I completed this huge milestone. I am now officially a Doctor in Earth and Space Sciences! It was incredible to be surrounded by family, mentors, and to celebrate with a wonderful cohort of peers and friends.
My cohort was particularly large because both 2020 and 2021 incoming PhD students arrived to campus together after the pandemic restrictions were lifted and in-person interactions were allowed again. Throughout these years, we became friends, we laughed, we learned together, and we supported each other through the doubt and frustration that naturally came along the way.
[During the ceremony, I had the honor to be one of the graduating speakers with Dr. Autum Downey (now at University of Missouri-Kansas City). It was an unforgettable experience because I was able to share some reflections about what got me here in the first place and how I was able to get through the challenges of doing a PhD.]
Along this journey, there were a lot of times that I felt like an outsider and that I didn’t belong. But it was in those moments were I had to remind myself that where you begin does not determine where you can go. I got a PhD because someone else believed in me, because someone opened a door, because someone gave me an opportunity. And that happened dozens of times. As my peers and I move to a new chapter I hope we can be that person for others. I want to open doors and give others the opportunity to believe in themselves. Especially for those who might come from environments where they cannot afford to be curious.
I have the luck, the privilege and the responsability to follow a path built on wonder. I will keep moving along this path, seeing how far I have come without forgetting where I started. And as I go and remember the bridges that brought me here, I will become one.