One of my first memories is crying at the school gate because my brother got to learn things and I wasn’t allowed. I looked forward to starting school so much that when I did start school I found it so boring I ran away. When I was 8, I moved from England to Scotland and found myself in a different education system. I was told that I was behind and I would have to catch up, but I was never given the information or pushed to do so. I also watched my brother struggle in school and was told that he had global learning disabilities, but he was offered minimal help and had no one to inspire him or drive him. When I went to high school I was told that I was good at science and would be a scientist. The recognition was a great boost and that teacher inspired me to go forward and confirmed that I was good at learning. A math teacher also boosted me into the top set for math and told me that I could do it, which gave me another boost in confidence and drove me on to achieve a first class BSc (Hons) and a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry. Whilst at school, I was given a spelling test 3 times for dyslexia – and 3 times they said I did not have it. However, I was tested at university and was diagnosed with dyslexia, and I remember the psychologist saying to me, “You have done well to get so far”. If I hadn’t been told I could by those two teachers, and constantly by my mother, then it could have been different. After a year of academia and 4 years of industrial experience, I moved to B.C. Canada and had the chance to re-evaluate my career, and realised that I loved to help others understand science and math. I believe everyone can achieve their dreams, despite any obstacles in their way. No-one should be told they don’t have the academic ability to do that. I want to give people the confidence boosts that I received and show them that they can succeed in any subject.
