A born scientist? No, but born curious
Physicist Lauren Hayward Sierens often finds herself chatting with colleagues who say they were born to be scientists.
“I am not one of them,” she writes in an “open letter to young Canadians” published recently by Maclean’s. “I didn’t dream of growing up to be a scientist, and yet I found myself being pulled in that direction.”
That uncertainty, she now realizes, is precisely what she needed in her journey to becoming a scientist. An open mind, curiosity, and a healthy dose of spontaneity exposed her to unexpected challenges and opportunities.
“Looking back, I realize that each twist and turn had a distinct marker: an influential teacher, a word of encouragement from a mentor, a moment of inspiration from unexpectedly learning something new,” writes Hayward Sierens, who was named one of Canada's future leaders by Maclean’s in 2014. “Each experience helped me to overcome my self-doubt and to find my passion for physics.”
Hayward is now a Perimeter Scholars International Fellow, teaching and mentoring the emerging scientists in Perimeter Institute’s graduate program. “I now hope that, in my own way, I can encourage potential future scientists to use curiosity as a guide in the face of uncertainty.”
Read the entire piece at Maclean’s.
An interview with Hayward Sierens on CTV:
About PI
Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.
