Journeys of Discovery: From Lab Coats to Life Stories

Approximately 1 in 5 students who embark on a PhD do not complete it. Of these, very few return for a second attempt. This talk covers my journey from my first efforts at a PhD in biological chemistry, to 7 years of secondary school teaching, to ultimately returning to research. Alongside my research both past and present, I will share how the highs and lows of these experiences have shaped my practice as a teacher, and again as a student.

We are all storytellers. Stories help us make sense of our experiences, build connections, learn and transmit social norms. No less importantly, telling stories allows us to construct our own identities and those of others. Have you ever wondered how a collection of words and sentences can hold so much power? In this session, we will look at the anatomy of a story from the perspective of sociolinguistics and explore how everyday storytelling allows us to construct our own identities.