I am a mother of a young child, studying for a doctorate, whilst working full time. It’s my choice, it’s tricky sometimes, but this is why I decided to do it.
For fifteen years, I have worked with the most delightful colleagues on earth - children. For fifteen years, I have been ‘Miss Q’. I didn’t even change it when I got married, as I couldn’t bear the thought of not being Miss Q anymore.
I cared for every one of them, and felt the weight of the responsibility for their education, their confidence and their happiness at school.
For four years, I have been a parent to a ray of human sunshine – Cormac. For three years of that, I have been ‘Mum’.
When I started my doctorate two years ago, it was something just for me. My doctoral cohort called me Aimee!
As I have read the literature in my field, completed a pilot study and analysed the data, I realised that this doctorate is still for me – but it is also for my participants, and for other women who might find some connections in our stories and their own.
Interested in studying a research degree? Find out more.
