I’ve been reflecting on the journey—particularly the challenges we face as academics. One way we can show humility is by remembering where we started, the hurdles we’ve faced, and the people who have been part of the story.
Academia often feels like a relentless climb, with the golden prize being the hashtag#fullprofessorship. The process can be soul-crushing. I’ve seen colleagues take a strategic approach, hopping from one institution to another, leveraging promotions and publications with precision timing.
As a hashtag#motheracademic, my options were limited. Commuting to another city wasn’t feasible, and uprooting my family every few years was out of the question. So I stayed at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd, where I began as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor 2005).
I applied for my first promotion to Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in 2013. During this time, I was raising three little ones, grappling with postpartum depression, and trying to write papers during maternity leaves with a foggy brain. My career progression inevitably slowed. I felt torn—like betraying my professional self by prioritizing motherhood, and at the same time, guilty for not being able to give 100% to either role.
I’m deeply grateful to to my line managers at the time Costas Andriopoulos and Adam Lindgreen who guided me during this difficult time and whose support made that first promotion possible.
But academia doesn’t stop there. Between Senior Lecturer and a professorship, there’s another rung to climb: Reader. Again, I was fortunate to have the guidance of Professor Ken Peattie.
Then came the hardest part—the journey from Reader to Full Professor. And here’s where I want to pause and reflect. This was the most hashtag#humbling and, yes, hashtag#humiliating experience of my academic life. I encountered individuals who seemed determined to throw brick walls in my path.
It’s hard to put into words how hashtag#soulwrenching that process was. It stripped me of my hashtag#ego and hashtag#selfrespect. There were moments I questioned my worth, not just as an academic, but as a person. In hindsight, I wonder if those challenges were necessary to teach me hashtag#humility, to remind me why I do what I do—not for titles or accolades, but for the love of learning and mentoring.
I’ve come to see hashtag#humilityasastrength, not a weakness. It’s about recognizing that our achievements aren’t solely ours. They’re built on the support of mentors, colleagues, students, and family. They’re shaped by the challenges that knock us down and force us to get back up.
To my fellow academics: let’s remember to acknowledge the struggles, both ours and others’. Let’s lift each other up instead of building walls. And let’s embrace humility—not as a lesson learned the hard way, but as a conscious choice.
P.S. Photos from 2014, a time of my professional life that stretched me to my limits.
Academia often feels like a relentless climb, with the golden prize being the hashtag#fullprofessorship. The process can be soul-crushing. I’ve seen colleagues take a strategic approach, hopping from one institution to another, leveraging promotions and publications with precision timing.
As a hashtag#motheracademic, my options were limited. Commuting to another city wasn’t feasible, and uprooting my family every few years was out of the question. So I stayed at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd, where I began as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor 2005).
I applied for my first promotion to Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in 2013. During this time, I was raising three little ones, grappling with postpartum depression, and trying to write papers during maternity leaves with a foggy brain. My career progression inevitably slowed. I felt torn—like betraying my professional self by prioritizing motherhood, and at the same time, guilty for not being able to give 100% to either role.
I’m deeply grateful to to my line managers at the time Costas Andriopoulos and Adam Lindgreen who guided me during this difficult time and whose support made that first promotion possible.
But academia doesn’t stop there. Between Senior Lecturer and a professorship, there’s another rung to climb: Reader. Again, I was fortunate to have the guidance of Professor Ken Peattie.
Then came the hardest part—the journey from Reader to Full Professor. And here’s where I want to pause and reflect. This was the most hashtag#humbling and, yes, hashtag#humiliating experience of my academic life. I encountered individuals who seemed determined to throw brick walls in my path.
It’s hard to put into words how hashtag#soulwrenching that process was. It stripped me of my hashtag#ego and hashtag#selfrespect. There were moments I questioned my worth, not just as an academic, but as a person. In hindsight, I wonder if those challenges were necessary to teach me hashtag#humility, to remind me why I do what I do—not for titles or accolades, but for the love of learning and mentoring.
I’ve come to see hashtag#humilityasastrength, not a weakness. It’s about recognizing that our achievements aren’t solely ours. They’re built on the support of mentors, colleagues, students, and family. They’re shaped by the challenges that knock us down and force us to get back up.
To my fellow academics: let’s remember to acknowledge the struggles, both ours and others’. Let’s lift each other up instead of building walls. And let’s embrace humility—not as a lesson learned the hard way, but as a conscious choice.
P.S. Photos from 2014, a time of my professional life that stretched me to my limits.
