On February 11th it was women and girls in science celebration day, a day to increase awareness to all the wonderful girls and women who through our lives and history had make an impact in the world for us to be able to be whatever we want to be. Something that we usually don’t say, or at least I rarely said it, is that most of us who live the life we always dream to live, probably have a mother or some family member who overcome a lot of challenges and showed us that whatever was possible if you try it. So, thank you mom and aunt Julia for showing me that if I wanted I can get it, despite all the challenges life put in your way.
Over the years, several women and sometimes little girls had incentivized me to be better in what I do. Most of them had been students, volunteers, and colleagues of different ages and at different stages in their careers and life. But all of them have something in common, a certain combination of curiosity and fire for do anything possible to make their dreams come true. Curiosity to try and ask questions that other didn’t and a tenacity to continue despite many people telling them they cannot do it.
I had also been lucky to have many men in my life who supported me over the years and give me enough confidence to be able to do what I love the most in life, work with monkeys!! Starting with my father and then all my academic advisor who had been all man. To all of them thank you too.
Now that I had mention people who had inspired me and supported me, my message to all the girls and young women who dream to work in science is first to surround yourself with people who support you and motivate you, fine passion inside and outside of you, don’t give up and even when times looks a bit dark, there is always something or someone who appears in your life in the right moment. And finally, something that I hear once from Jane Goodall, “you’ll have to work hard, take advantage of opportunities and never give up” something that her mother told her when she was a little girl and tell her she wanted to go to Africa. This phrase had resonated with me over the years and that is why I still do what I love (see monkeys in their habitat, in case you had forgotten), even when sometimes it looks that I will need to give up, something appears, or someone gives me a hand an offers me a new opportunity that in some way keep me going.
Finally, to all students, volunteers and colleagues who had share part of your life with me, thank you for helping me to keep going…Happy Girls and Women in Science Day!!!
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