When did you leave Chesterton Community College?

I left Chesterton in 2012.

What is your current job title or field?

I am a Research Fellow at the European Space Agency. I work on the devlopment of new satellites that will measure the weather and climate of Earth.

Did you know as a teenager which career you wanted to pursue, or did you realise this later on?

When I was a teenager I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do, perhaps I still don’t! I knew that I liked maths and science so I decided to study those subjects at A-level and then did a degree and PhD in physics. However, I didn’t really have a plan and at each stage I was lucky to be able to make decisions based on what I found interesting.

How did you start your career?

My career started with my PhD in Atmospheric Physics. I picked this because I wanted to use my physics knowledge to make a positive impact on the planet. During my PhD I worked with lots of scientists including some employed by the European Space Agency. This gave me the idea that I could have a career working in Space Science.

What do you like about your job? What are the high points?

The thing I like most about my job is the fieldwork. We take scientific instruments that are similar to the satellites we are developing and make measurements in real-world environments. This is to prove that the satellites will work and provide useful information before we launch them in space.

I have done fieldwork in some amazing areas of the world, like in the Arctic. This has also meant that I have met some amazing people from all over the world.

What is the first piece of advice you would give to a student wanting to pursue this career?

It takes a long time to get established in a scientific career … I am still classed as an early career scientist so it is a bit difficult to give advice! You should not be afraid to reach out to someone for advice or if you want to discuss something with them. Some of the best scientific work comes about because of collaborations between different people and groups.