What a rollercoaster of a summer. From the initial excitement of the interview process for the Laidlaw scholarship, to the awe-eyed residential for developing leadership and personal mastery skills, to beginning my research with the guidance one of my highest respected academics in the School of Chemistry. It all seemed to good to be true.

And, lo and behold, life found a way to intervene. External and personal circumstances meant that I had to pause my research only a week and a half in, with feelings of doubt, failure, isolation from the rest of my cohort seeping in. I am an infamously independent person, loathe to recognize either to others or to myself when things are getting too much. Suffice to say that this summer has been a hard-earned lesson in reaching out when support or mitigating measures need to be taken.

The more I dwelled on them and the immovability of the circumstances that I was faced with, the more the stress and feelings of failure that only seemed to mount. The tipping point came during one of our peer feedback sessions within the cohort, some of whom I had grown close to over the program thus far. I spilled my heart out, and on hearing back advice, I realised how crucial communication is when faced with problems.

I reached out to our Laidlaw Coordinator, Celine, and what a weight off my shoulders enabling those lines of communication was. Together with my supervisor, we arranged a facilitating postponement from the original June-July 6 week research timeframe to a July-August slot. It felt like a second chance for me.

July came around, and whilst my cohort were mainly off adventuring in their various places of choice for holiday, I was cracking on in the lab, putting my all into the process in a way that I had been rendered incapable of the month prior. I integrated with the research group of my supervisor, meeting and talking with PhD students, post-docs, visiting scholars, and within a week we were also joined by another undergraduate working on a different biochemistry project within the group. Having another undergraduate in the lab with me was an amazing experience in allyship (PhDs are lovely, but can be intimidating!), and we became fast friends. By the end of our concurrent projects, we both presented our work to the group, hers on identification of an enzymatically-synthesised molecule with potential to treat Parkinson's, mine on an enzymatically-degraded molecular product aiming to address plastic waste pollution. Such is an insight into the breadth and fascinating discussions we were able to have within the group.

As is often the case when faced with challenges that seem insurmountable, a good support network and belief that things will be okay can make all the difference. I am so indebted to my cohort, our Laidlaw coordinator, my supervisor and the friends I made along the way. My research placement as a Laidlaw scholar ended up being better than I ever expected; I found a love for research-based academia, and a passion for plastic waste toxicology and degradation mechanisms such that I wish I could repeat the experience all over again. I met some amazing people, built friendships, and found such an imbued sense of respect for the work every one of my cohort has done this summer. I am so thankful to say that I am part of such a talented and influential group of people, and I can't wait to see the research that my peers have done, and receive feedback on my own!