It is already May 2024. 2 is special, and 2 is lucky. I will soon be wrapping up my big-girl job #2, which calls for a Warwick-style reflective piece (minus the Warwick-style acronyms).
I have been at Warwick since 2018- as a student until 2022, and as a staff member post-graduation in 2023. Any space that I have consciously chosen to be in- whether it be an optional module in GSD (Global Sustainable Development) or my first big-girl job at IATL (Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning-(stellar team btw!)- has always been filled with women.
I have been immensely blessed to have been surrounded by women who continue to energise me and inspire me every day. They sit at tables and lead discussions with compassion, empathy, and level-headedness. They march with confidence and strut with grace. Their warm eyes lend them a kind and inviting persona. You want to be with them. You want to be like them.
Growing up, I thought if you were smart, confident, and successful, you were also mean, rude, and apathetic. And if you were kind, soft, and gentle, you were weak, silly, and stupid. I never associated kindness and empathy with intelligence and success.
I thought the rose stemmed from the thorn. Little did I know the rose is a product of the sun that has been kind enough to shine on it, the soil that has so generously lent it its warm abode, and the rain that has not missed to water any inch of its veins.
Before I dive deeper into this, I would like to give deep thanks and gratitude to the women who got me to this point of realisation and made me who I am today.
Dr. Bo Kelestyn, who taught me how to take up space. She is the true essence of radical empathy. You ignited in me a love for design which in turn lent me a sense of direction and has been my IKIGAI ever since. You have been my North Star and lucky charm at Warwick. Thank you for believing in me since day 1.
Dr. Lory Barile who taught me Applied Economics as an optional module in third year. Little did I know, our paths would cross again post-graduation but what a privilege it has been to work with you on the Housing Retrofitting Project. This experience made me realise my passion for working with young people and bringing research to the community by getting me involved in.
Anne Wilson whom I met during the SPRINT programme 2018. I have moved cities and houses 5 times in the last 5 years, and whilst I have clumsily lost track of many important belongings in the process (my favorite yellow sweater and a birthday card from a very dear friend), I have to this day held on to that blue box file (my fellow SPRINT girls will know!).
Victoria Jelicic who has believed in me and built me, with every opportunity she steered me towards. Each of these opportunities has gotten me a step closer to where I see myself.
Mahfia Watkinson who I briefly crossed roads with but someone who left an indelible mark on me, for her strong presence and approachable demeanour in important boardrooms where decisions got made.
Rachael Kirwan who has shown so much love and appreciation for my creativity and wanted nothing but success for me. You have taught me the power of community and connection. Your love, light and warmth make you a catalyst to reckon with. You're not just "Warwick's research enabler and igniter", but also a people enabler and igniter! Thank you for being my biggest supporter and cheerleader in this journey.
Jess Humphreys, whose constant positivity, appreciation, and kindness taught me to believe in the power of safe spaces and trust myself and the value of resources I was co-creating. Watching you lead and steer conversations into a space of joy, comfort and safety has been such a privilege and honour- you have no idea of the impact you have had on me!
Inca Hide-Wright, my brilliant cheerleader and co-designer in crime who taught me the power of community. Inca is truly the spirit behind "leave no one behind". I couldn't have asked for a better co-facilitator!
Emma Barker whom I had the pleasure of getting to know in my first "big girl job" with IATL. Thank you for trusting me and helping me grow. I wouldn't be where I am without you.
Caroline Gibson who to me was the very embodiment of "kindness in leadership". From our very first online MS Teams call to the last group huddle on the last day of WorldCUR-BCUR, I have watched the way you hold a space with awe and amazement.
Gillian Messaoud whose level of energy, assertiveness, and sense of humour has always been big, bold, and bright- you couldn't miss it! There was never a dull moment in our MS Teams conversations. I don't think I related to anyone else as much as I did to you when it came to our shared love for language, identity (and food!)
Jane Bryan whose calmness and clear vision were unmissed in every conversation.
Fiona Farnsworth who never failed to not just acknowledge but highlight my contributions and always checked in to see how I was doing. Thank you for showing such care and compassion.
Vicky Marsh who is an inspiring leader and line manager to say the very least. I have never met someone with the level of care and compassion for colleagues that you show. In my head, a 30-minute group check-in call on a Monday meant a 10-second half-arsed reply to "how are you?" Or "how was your weekend", irrespective of how you were actually doing. And this is what I did for the first couple weeks, barely spilling any detail, burying any excitement or emotion that surfaced when asked about how I spent my weekends. But you changed this.
All these women appear in the text in the order in which they appeared in my life. You have all taught me what it means to own a space, hold a space, and navigate a space all whilst building more space for others to flourish.
These are all women I have watched lead in different spaces with awe and delight. However, if I were to get all these wonderful women and myself in a room, I can say with confidence that I don't look like most of them, yet the impact and influence they have had in my life has been magnanimous.
I fully realise the privilege of having grown up around strong, brown women, and the assuredness that stems from seeing someone look like you. I grew up in Dubai, in a neighborhood with a very strong South-Asian presence. All around me were people who looked like me and spoke like me. I never felt under-represented in a "physical, surface-level" sense. Yet, I wasn't able to see myself in any of these spaces dominated by incredible, powerful women. This isn't to say they weren't inspiring. I just did not see myself fitting in any of these roles, beyond the colour of my skin.
And this is why I think that 'diversity and inclusion' should not be just a surface-level, tick-box exercise. I hope my experience invites you look at diversity and inclusion through a broader lens, beyond just colour and creed. I think we also need more diversity in leadership styles, diversity in thinking patterns and feeling patterns; diversity in the way you emote, excite, engage, and encourage; diversity in the way you hold spaces, move around them, and move them; build them and shape them.
So, here's to the power of female acquaintances and associations; companions and connections. Short-lived or life-long; family in flesh or in passing, here’s to the women who have always been and will continue to be our torchbearers and tango tribes.
P.S. There is someone who hasn't been named yet, for she is a Wonder foreign to Warwick. My dearest, sweetest, kindest Nani (maternal grandmother). You are the reason in everything I do. I love you and I miss you every day.
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