Transcript of podcast episode, with Feylyn Lewis
Podcast episode length: 41:33
Cate: Welcome everyone to Career Talk. My name is Cate Linforth. I'm the host of this podcast today and I am so excited because we are accompanied today by our guest, Feylyn Lewis. Welcome, Feylyn. Thank you for joining us.
Feylyn: Thank you for having me.
Cate: Feylyn, do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Feylyn: So I'm based in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States and at the University of Birmingham, I studied social work. So I graduated with a Ph.D. in social work. And I am a researcher, consultant and program manager at my alma mater, my undergrad alma mater, Vanderbilt University.
Cate: Oh, fantastic. So you've gone kind of full circle and returned to where kind of higher education started for you. It's great to be back, I bet. And Nashville is such a cool city as well. So if we just start talking a little bit about kind of like your time at university and your time at Birmingham. When you went to university, I guess, how was your when you started your undergraduate did you know what you wanted to do kind of as a career after your studies? Or what was it that you were hoping to do after your studies?
Feylyn: Oh, okay. So when I was an undergrad, I think as a first year, I started off as pre-med. Then I had to take a lot of pre-med classes like calculus and chemistry and biology, and I think I got a C, okay, chemistry. And I was like, you know what? It's just not for me. Let's just call it just I don't think this will go well for me. So I switched to being a double major in Psychology and English, which set me up well, I then actually the recession hit the 2008 recession. And when I was in my third and going into fourth year, my final year and I knew no one I knew was able to get jobs at the time and so okay grad school and so I so yeah. So having a bachelor's degree in psychology and English, I thought, okay, that sounds like law school. Yeah. I also, I really had the benefit of counselling before and I knew like, oh, it's such a really fulfilling career path. So I found a program that allowed me to do a dual degree in law and also a master's in counselling. So that's what I moved to after I graduated with my undergrad degree. So I went on and got a master's in counselling. But yet again there's a theme and I think my stories, my first year law school, I got my last exam and that didn't go well. I'm trying them all though, going to try all the different careers.
Cate: Do you know what? That's just it's such a common thing theme among students. Like the amount of people that I've met, that when you start your undergrad, you go with such conviction that this is what I want to be. You know, we think of our careers when we're finishing secondary school or high school, we always think about what we want to be, you know, and we look at a list of professions, usually the ones that you find on like a dropdown menu. And it's so rare that those are actually what we become or what we go on to do. Because once we get into higher education, we realise that it isn't quite what we thought it was going to be. And that career path that we originally thought we wanted to do might not have all it seemed to be when we were younger. But also once you get into higher education, kind of this world, of all of the different opportunities and everything that you can go into with your studies I think really opens up and you start learning about different career paths that you'd never either even known about or thought about for yourself. And I think that's what's really interesting. You know, we've done a few of these podcasts so far, and I find it just so interesting to see kind of the path because no one's path or very few people have such a straight path, you know, everybody's path is pretty winding. So then what made you go from counselling and law, to studying kind of social work at the University of Birmingham?
Feylyn: I mean when I was in my master's program for counselling I was doing like a mini dissertation. And because I have the lived experience of being a carer or caregiver for my disabled mom growing up and I was actually doing a little project on young adult caregivers and I knew I wanted to go out and get a see what I looked at career trajectory and I had a great advisor and my graduate advisor at the time and he knew I was looking at peach programs and I was looking at schools and Denver and Malibu and all over the U.S. So and he said, You sound like you're about to go on vacation. Where's all the research coming from about young caregivers. I said, Oh, well, that's England. Yeah, well, that's where you need to go. So I live in Malibu. All right. That's beautiful. Thank you very much. Say cheese and I have it. My I've got to make it to, you know. So it's the. Yeah, so that's what I did. I wrote up a proposal, I got books in the library, had no idea how to write a PhD and yeah. Locked myself in my room for a summer, nailed something down and sent it off to you. And because the field is so small, the study of youth caregivers, there's Professor Saul Becker. He's the world renowned expert and really the person who coined the term young carers. Okay. And has done that work really since the late 1980s in the UK. So I sent off my proposal to cross my fingers and he graciously accepted and said that I should come over and study with them. So that's how my trajectory, I guess almost eight years ago I started. Yeah, that's how I came over.
Cate: And how did you I I'm fascinated in this because I'm originally from the US as well and I did my undergraduate in the UK and I had a really similar experience to you when I was finishing high school, I, my family had recently moved to a different city and I knew I didn't want to stay in that city. And so I started thinking about going to my hometown, which was Chicago or going anywhere else in the world. And that was kind of how I happened upon the UK. But the university that I went to, I had never even heard of, I couldn't pronounce the name of it, but I, I had a really inspirational advisor in high school that said, like, you need to look at the field that you're going into and actually make a decision not just based on geography or where you want to go, as nice as that may seem. And they had said kind of you can get a job anywhere in the world, but you really should study where, you know, where all of the kind of research and science is coming from for what you want to go into. So I think it's so important in life to have guidance and advice from people who will fight your corner for getting you the best opportunities possible and kind of helping you to make the right decisions for what you want to do. And how did you find that transition from moving from the US to the UK? Both culturally I guess, but also academically?
Feylyn: Well, I would say first I should probably add that I started off at Nottingham, the University of Nottingham, that's where Saul was at the time. Yeah. And then he took a promotion to be the Provost at Birmingham. So that's where I moved in my second year so yes, I started off at Nottingham and yeah, I was very naive and I thought the special relationship between the U.S. and the UK, it was going to be just like home. Yeah, it was really, really funny. I did not pay attention to international student orientation, to culture shock and all the lessons that and all that education they're trying to give us on that. And I’d say probably about a month and a half in I was talking to one of my Chinese friends and I was telling her I said, I feel like I can't concentrate. And I just thought it was I just don’t feel like I’m myself. And she's like, you didn't pay attention! They were telling us about culture shock, you’re experiencing culture shock. At first I went, I googled all the different like symptoms. Yeah, this explains why I don't feel like I’m myself. And it's true. Like, I think certainly, you know, I'm aware of the larger differences, but it's really what I think I got caught up in are the smaller differences from even I remember being in Boots and realising like, wait, there's a different way we walk up to the till that I don't think you see even that and I wouldn't use the word till, but yeah, so even just the smaller things that I had to learn, just a new way of living so that I didn't stick out like a sort of interstate I was. Yes, I think it was the smaller things culturally for me. But I one of the benefits that was going to international student engagement was having friends from all over the world. And so that was really, I think, a benefit to me to feeling like I could other people knew what I was going through and kids could and could relate with me. But then also was really important for me that I had British friends because my thinking was, I've got plenty of American friends, so this is an opportunity. I want to meet other people. So I'm really grateful that I stayed in the graduate halls there on campus. And so that's how I met actually my first British friends. And so that was also an opportunity to go to their homes for like Sunday roast and meet their family. And so, yeah, so that was, that was amazing. And I feel really fortunate to really have had that experience of getting I guess the full cultural immersion.
Cate: So I think it's really easy as a student to, you know, like come over and just focus on your studies and kind of throw yourself in academically. There are a lot of differences in the educational system, so it's really easy to just throw yourself into getting used to the changes in academics. But it's really important also when you when you move somewhere that's got a completely different culture. And I think sometimes people don't realise how challenging it can be for individuals from other English-speaking countries to come to the UK because you know, we all accept that people from other countries where the language is different or all of the food is different or they don't have many sports in common or things like that, will have culture shock. But I know that for myself and for some other people from North America that I've spoken to, they had real culture shock and weren't necessarily expecting it because they thought like, I know the language, you know, that special relationship that everyone always talks about. This will be easy. But actually I think that's where it gets you is, is in the surprise things that you think are like, oh, what's the name of this product that I would normally buy at home? I don't, you know, little things like that. Or when you get a craving for a certain type of food and you just think like, I don't I can't even get the ingredients for that. And I think those are common amongst all international students. But I would say that like my number one piece of advice is always to try and make friends from people from as many different countries as possible because it's such a unique opportunity, especially in cities like Birmingham, where we have such a diverse student population, but also the city has such a diverse population to have that chance to really like immerse yourself in the culture. And so it's nice to hear that you did that because I think whilst it's very important to focus on kind of your studies and your research and all that, it's also that that opportunity for kind of personal cultural growth as well. And I think that's just as important and as we go through life. So then tell me tell me a little bit about your studies. How did you find that transition onto a PhD program from a master's program? And was it was it kind of what you expected or different to what you expected?
Feylyn: Mm. I think the first thing that comes to mind is my understanding from a Ph.D. in the U.S. might be that you'd start off with classes for your first few years rather than delving right into your chosen field of research. And so I would say that's probably the largest difference, I think, in terms of the divorce versus one in the UK. But for me, I guess not knowing any different now, not knowing what to expect, it's my first time doing a Ph.D. I would say, Yeah, I think I was prepared well in terms of even when I made the transition to Birmingham, you know, I think the resources there were very beneficial for me and I felt supported really throughout the journey. I generally always knew who I could turn to if I had questions. So I would say I think the academic transition was probably the more easier. Yes. And then cultural being a long way from home. But yeah. So I mean, I when I think about, I guess what it was like being a first and second year student, definitely recognising that your time is your own. And so I'm definitely a bit of a workaholic trying to be a recovering workaholic. So recognising that because your schedules are your own and you don't have classes that kind of structure your life, I could theoretically be doing my Ph.D. all day long, all night long, and that's sort of the mindset that I took is that I always need to be working and there's always something to do. But I've certainly learned, I think, towards the end of my journey and now definitely in my career that I'm healthy. Boundaries of work and work life balance is really important so that you don't get burnt out. Because really the Ph.D. for me is the start of an end point. So that's definitely something that I wish when I look back is, yeah, I spent a lot of time holed up in my room burning the midnight oil, and I probably would have probably would have been a lot more relaxing time if I had slept more and taken care of myself. So I'd say I think that was probably the biggest transition is this I threw myself to my study and I think work life balance is really important.
Cate: I think that’s such a healthy kind of point to talk about as well, because, you know, what we find with all students, but in particular international students, is there tends to be this feeling that, you know, we're here for a short amount of time or a finite. Amount of time and we need to make the most of that opportunity academically. But then also, you know, some students get involved in extracurriculars or get involved in internships or work, and all of these are, you know, immeasurably beneficial to your career prospects. But there's also a lot to be said for kind of personal development. And like you say, a healthy work life balance to ensure that you're both giving the best and getting the best out of your experience as well. And I think it's just really important to strike that fine balance. And I think, you know, even for myself in my career, it's difficult for us as individuals to always find that healthy balance. And I think sometimes the pendulum tends to swing far too one way or the other, but to find that healthy balance is a real skill and it's something that a lot of us strive for a long time to fight. And so it's you know, I like the term recovering workaholic. I think we'll always be recovering. Yes, indeed. And then whilst you were undertaking your Ph.D. kind of research and whilst you were in Birmingham, did you engage with any kind of career services? Or were you starting to think about your next steps and how did those plans form for you?
Feylyn: So I'm really privileged to have very intimate knowledge of the career services at Birmingham because I started working as a student ambassador. And for me that meant that I got to go to the conference fairs that would be held there in the Great Hall. And I also had the opportunity to review other students’ CVs and resumés, and that was something that really helped me learn my own self about how I could do some revision on my own CV. So that was really helpful. So I think being able to have probably a more closer working experience in relationship with careers services, that's something that has been an immense benefit to me. And certainly even as an alumni, I still use the Birmingham career services. Holly Prescott was so kind - I was interviewing for a position here in the States, now eight now you know eight years into the journey and I emailed her and said would you mind taking a look at my CV and then can I do a mock interview? And she was really kind that I was able to do that with a colleague there, at the careers service and that was so helpful. Like the advice given to me was to make sure that you're filling the time with your interviews that you have. And, you know, we're so used to giving off short, quick quips, but actually being able to give an answer that's 3 to 5 minutes long. And that has made such a difference in the interviews that I've done. I could even myself could tell what a difference that was. So the advice that I've got, even now as an alumni, has been really helpful for me.
Cate: I think that’s such a valid point to make though, because, you know, I don't see students in my role within careers but even kind of overhearing other people within careers talking about some of the guidance that's going on or some of the initiatives that we're working on to help students has certainly helped me in thinking about my career and ways in which I can do things better or ways in which I could develop myself as a professional. So I definitely agree with that. And I think it's important to note that Careers Network, as well as the business school career service, we're not just here for current students, we're here for graduates as well. And it's really important for our graduates to be able to feel as though they can come back and ask questions and can get involved with some of the events that that we're offering, whether they're physically on campus or some of our hybrid events or virtual events, but also some of the services that we offer, like the CV checker and the interview prep and things. And you know, once you graduate, you're Birmingham for life. So I think there's it's you know, it's really kind of reassuring for us as an institution to know that our graduates feel comfortable coming back and kind of and value that support that we're able to give and know where to come if they need it. And because we are always here and our job is to help students and graduates, you know, to be able to promote yourself in the most effective way and for you to be able to showcase the skills that you have. So that's really good. And so when you were studying, did you know that you wanted to return to the US or were you hoping to stay in the UK and work or what kind of what were your plans and how did they develop for you?
Feylyn: So I always knew from the beginning that I wanted to take what I learned in the U.K. back to the U.S. So in my field of youth, caregivers are young carers and they're the U.K. and typically England about 30 years advanced than the U.S. in terms of policy, research and practice. So I came really to the place to learn and soak up as much as I could. So I think in terms of the workaholism I threw myself and everything, going to lots of conferences during lunch, presenting lots of writing as well, so trying to publish. And I'm really grateful really for the opportunity to have been here. But so from the start, really, I knew that I wanted to always say, take what I've learned here, take it, bring it back. And yes, so yes. I didn't know that was the plan for me to come back home.
Cate: Fantastic. And did you always plan on returning to Nashville and specifically to Vanderbilt, or was that you were there? Were there lots of kind of areas in the mix for you? Or what were your thoughts around kind of location for you?
Feylyn: Yeah. And so that's where I guess the personal then determines the professional. Yes. So I was finishing up, so I finished up at Birmingham and then I did a postdoc fellowship at the University of Sussex, also with Saul. And I was in my last year of that. So that was would have been 2020. The pandemic had just started. Okay. But unfortunately, my mother back in Nashville, experienced a stroke. So I flew back immediately back to Nashville so I could be at her bedside at the hospital. So and the effects of the stroke meant that she was going to be in a wheelchair and really need a full time caregiver. So I actually got rid of my flat there in Brighton and moved back in December 2020 from England back to Nashville, so and that's where I’ve been since then. So I was grateful in some ways, I guess the pandemic I was able to finish out my fellowship remotely right then and then start another position. But it was the personal really that drove me back. I've always intended to come back, but that's definitely not the reason and earlier than I had planned in my mind to go back home.
Cate: But I think sometimes, you know, these things happen and life throws things that we can't ever anticipate. And they do tend to be like a catalyst for our paths to change direction a little bit or to accelerate in certain ways. And it's all about how you adapt to those. So like you say, you had always planned to return, maybe not at that exact time. And as awful as the pandemic has been, there have been ways in which technology has advanced to allow things to be a little bit more flexible. So it kind of feels like in in that particular instance, it afforded you that flexibility to be able to continue what you were doing, but also kind of tend to your kind of family needs as well. So it's good that that you were able to have that adaptability to do that in in unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances. And so then in terms of what you're doing now, how is it because it sounds like your role is kind of multifaceted now you're doing a few different things. How are you kind of applying your Ph.D. research into what you're doing now?
Feylyn: Yeah. Yeah. So and I was privileged when I came back shortly thereafter, I started working as the research director for the National Alliance for Caregiving based in D.C., and that I was also doing my fellowship for Sussex. I was doing burning both ends. And again, another thing, recovering workaholic. Recovering workaholic. So yes, I was doing that. And unfortunately, my mom had another health setback. So I resigned from that position and really focussed on my family caregiving responsibilities and my own health as well. Because again, by that stage burnout that I was experiencing, so I had about seven months where I wasn't doing any paid work. I was really just focusing on my mother and my own health as well. And that's actually around the time I think I would have contacted Hallie because I know I'm ready to get back into work and well, it was doing more interviews and that's when I got in touch with her. And so I thanks to Holly and her help started at Vanderbilt in November 2021. I've been working as a profit manager and the Students for Health Equity. It's a program based in the School of Nursing that it's really all about allowing students to cultivate projects of refuge for you that are all about addressing health equity issues and disparity here in Nashville. So it's been really a great opportunity for me to be one immersed in a different population that I have before as a refugee, but also tying in all the different experiences I've had along the way. So that master's in counselling has been really useful and some of the mental health elements that come up with the population that we're doing research on. But I also continue really to remain passionate about what I feel like is my calling in life to do advocacy and research with youth caregivers. So we're still publishing our three European projects for two years, but finishing, but we're still churning out articles. So I do that in my spare time, quote unquote spare time, and also do conferences as well. And I also consult on research projects still also in Europe, but then here in the U.S. as well as as I do recognise the the large gap in terms of policy and research here in my field in the U.S. So I really consider it now that I'm here to get to work to try to address that difference. So, yes, I keep myself busy, but I know, but it's good. I feel really privileged and I know I would not have none of the I think I've really if I could humbly say amazing things that I've been able to do in my career so far, it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't had one. That advisor who said, Stop looking at vacation spots and go to England, but then also people along the way who've really mentored me like Saul at Nottingham and Birmingham and having people like in the career services who've been able to really crucial moments be able to give me good advice what I needed at the time. So yeah, as I say, even though there have been some definitely unexpected things along the way that would not have I would not have wished. But, but in the end, I can really see it's working out for good.
Cate: Definitely. And I think, you know, it sounds like all of the experiences that you've been picking up along the way, all of those pieces to that puzzle have kind of just are setting into place and are working in this this really interesting way together for you to be able to do what you're doing. And quite a niche area. And in an area in the states like you say, that is not as far along as in the UK. It's it sounds like you're making real headway in real progress in an area that is hugely passionate to you and that you have personal experience in. And I think that that's a really nice kind of cross point between the personal and the professional, I think. And I think it's really important and not everyone does this, but I think for people that are able to find a crossover between where their personal interests or experiences meet either their studies or what they want to do professionally, I think that's a real sweet spot in life. And I think I just think that's really exciting to hear how that career has kind of developed and evolved for you to be able to do what you're doing when you because you mentioned, you know, having a career break when you were caring for your mom, when you started to go back into kind of looking for work, how did you find and looking for work in the US versus kind of what your expectations had been when you were in academia in the UK? Did you find kind of how did you find the job search in the US at the time? I guess from a cultural side of things, but also it was still during the pandemic. So was there anything kind of tricky because of that that came up or how did you find that?
Feylyn: I would say initially I was really grateful that the ties that I had made early on, while I was a Ph.D. student, that helped me get that position that I landed as a research director because I had contacted that organisation and had been on their advisory boards for different research projects while I was a Ph.D. student at Birmingham. So that was helpful and then at the time needing a position and that door really being open for me. But I would say when I was in the time of unemployment, I think I think actually the scary thing is you never know when that job is coming. So yeah, I think honestly being able to I would say part. Is my mental health in terms of not being getting too down that like, okay, you're going on lots of interviews and things that I would hear things like, Oh, you're overqualified or you know, or What are you going to leave if we give you this position and being really? Yeah, I think getting really down about that because at the time it's like, I need to work, I'm happy to work. I don't like me to work. But. So, yes, I would say I think that was definitely the hardest thing in that job search was just not getting to discouraged really, because things didn't happen as quickly as I had hoped to her. I wanted for myself. And then also, I think for me, as you've probably picked up in my story, having quite unique trajectory to things, being able to speak to that on job interviews, because often I'd hear things like, well, you went to law school and they needed a counselling degree and then you did the piece like What are you doing and why did you try to go? And for me, now that I can look back and see what actually everything was useful in that year in law school, everything fit together for me, you know, all the focus I did an accounting degree helped because the research projects I did in Europe were all about mental health and wellbeing for young carers, all of it and all of it where I just didn't know it at the time. So I guess trusting the process and trusting your own strengths and the things that you've picked up a part of along your unique journey, that's something that I think I'm still learning about myself and being confident in that. So I guess own my own journey that yeah, it was unexpected and doesn't look like anyone else's because it wasn't very linear, but it's worked for me and I don't really regret any of those different steps along the way. So yes, I think that what I think about at that unemployment time was when I kept not getting too discouraged and then also recognising that the yeah, you have your own unique story to add as you're talking to employers and going out interviews and trying to make the story pieces all fit together.
Cate: I think that that's so important though, because it is about trusting the process, but also trusting yourself and trusting your abilities and your decision making. Because I do not made this the decisions that you made along the way, you wouldn't have your unique experience and skill set. And I think so. So much of that to some employers might on paper look like, oh, well, you know, she's changed paths a lot or she's made lots of different decisions. But it's all about how you kind of promote yourself in applications and in interviews. And if you can justify why you made those decisions at the time, the skills that you gained from them and how they've helped you kind of along the way, then that suddenly goes from a questionable she's not sure what she wants to a this individual really knows what she's doing and she's really picked up a lot of useful skills and knows how to use her kind of education and background to make the best decisions and kind of to choose the best path for her. So I think it's all about how we promote ourselves. So much of it is how we promote ourselves. We get some students that haven't got any work experience or haven't had any jobs, and sometimes that can be really discouraging because they think, well, I'll never get full time employment because I never had any work experience. But actually it's about what you learn from the experiences that you did have and how you can promote them. And I think that's so important is, you know, trust the process and trust yourself as well and call upon those people that you made connections with. So, you know, from your story I took that, you know, you were obviously very busy with were doing your Ph.D. but you know, you said you were going to as many conferences as possible, meeting people, speaking at events, publishing. All of that kind of raises your personal branding and gets you in front of lots of different people, but also gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of different people and get a lot of different connections and network with people. And I think networking is one of those things that for a lot of people is really uncomfortable and awkward and not something that comes naturally to a lot of people, but is so crucial because even in the most fair recruitment processes, if you are able to kind of network and strike a rapport with someone, all of these things, and if you can kind of level with someone or or find a connection. All of these things can come and help you, you know, in future or within the process. Would you say networking has been key for you? And do you have any kind of tips for students who might find networking a little bit challenging?
Feylyn: Yeah, I think definitely networking has been helpful for me. I would say when I'm thinking about tips here. Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Cate: Sorry I’ve kind of put you on the spot there.
Feylyn: I would say the first thing that came to mind for me is there are no doors that I want to leave closed or no staff, no stone unturned. I'm terrible at these kinds of phrases! But yeah, I think there's an Emily Dickinson quote, like, not knowing when Dawn will come I open every door and that's one of her points. And I love that. That's really how I think I've taken my career and that type of approach. Networking is I don't know who will be the person that will help and you will understand my very this topic of caregivers and, and go, yeah, okay, we get it, we want to help. So I was I really saw that as okay if I particularly if my topic being one where I'm an advocate and really wanting to spread awareness, that meant that I have to talk to everyone and anyone and being able to make connections and also think about the relevance for my topic for other people. So connecting the dots for others was something that I learned I needed to do very quickly and networking because my topic is something that's under-researched and there's not a lot of exposure to you in the US. So making the making it easy for other people to say, okay, this is my this relevant and important for you and why you should care about this group of children and that I care so much about so and so. I think that's the first thing. That's how I approached networking. I'd also say, I guess go in with questions and go in just with an investigative mind. Use those research skills. And I guess don't think of it as a very cheesy here's my business card and let's get a coffee. But more just be curious, naturally curious. And people I think generally love to talk about themselves and love to answer questions. So use those interviewing skills that maybe you gain from being a researcher. I think those are things that help me along the way because I, naturally an introvert, do not want certainly don't want to be part of this and don't want to put others on the spot. But I think if I approach things from I want to know and then also I want to advocate for the children that I'm doing research on that helped me focus and get away, I guess, any of my insecurities and networking.
Cate: So as someone that has never met you before, I think you hide your introvert nature quite well. And I would say that networking is something that you've clearly kind of honed that skill and your passion for your field comes through. And I think that's a testament to kind of all of the work that you've put into it and all of the both, both through kind of academically the work that you've put into it, but also looking at your experience and how you can help others as is really like clearly a passion of yours and, and it shines through. So I think I think it's been so interesting to talk to you and learn a little bit more about your journey and about kind of how you got to where you are now, but and how you've been able to pivot and adapt in situations that kind of have arisen that have been unforeseen and unfortunate as well. So I think your resilience really shines through and I don't want to steal too much more of your time, and I'm so appreciative of you for joining this podcast. So thank you very much. I just if I if I could we just have one more question that I always like to end the podcast on, and that's if you could give any top tips or advice to other University of Birmingham students, not necessarily just international, but kind of speaking to your experiences or looking back on your experiences as an international student, as a PhD researcher and as a postdoc as well in the UK, what would you what advice would you give to other students who might be on a similar path to yourself about making the most of their time?
Feylyn: Yeah, you used, I think, the perfect word when you said pivot. And I think that's something that I would yeah, I think I would advise other students. Don't be afraid to try new things. Even if you come in to a course of study and realise, Oh, you're not sure if that's for you, or maybe there's something else that sparks your interest. Try everything. And I certainly feel like I've taken my pick of things throughout my educational journey, and that's also what I think I would advise someone else to do, is to just try everything. You never know what may fit, what may speak to your unique skills and strengths that you have to offer. And I think, again, just trust the process and trust yourself that things really will fit. Together. It may not happen on the timeline that you think that it should or as quickly as we want it to. But where things really do. I think that together, particularly if you're I think a person get from a place of authenticity and you know, wanting to I guess, have the best career that you have you can and recognising your own strengths. I think that's something that I'd recommend and also protect your mental health throughout the process. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Take some time for yourself yeah.
Cate: Definitely. Well, Feylyn, thank you so much for your time. It's been so lovely having you on the podcast and I really appreciate your kind of willingness to share and your perspective. And I just think that you've been fascinating to kind of learn from and talk to you. So thank you very much for your time.
Feylyn: Thank you.