The voices of Broadening Horizons: Meet some of the first cohort from the programme

It was these experiences that made me realise I wanted to live in a place full of other people like me, where I could blend into the background and my skin colour wasn't the only thing people saw. My love for learning, particularly chemistry, became that ticket for me. I had some fantastic teachers along the way - my favourite chemistry teacher was my A-Level teacher, who wore a pink lab coat with frills. She was awesome, and I remember thinking ‘wow, I want to be just like her!’

It got me thinking about chemistry outside the classroom, in our bodies, in cosmetics, in the air. I didn't think about any other subjects in the same way, so I knew chemistry was the one for me! I chose the biggest, most diverse city in the UK to study my MSci at King's College London. I graduated with the highest grade in my year - still my biggest academic achievement to date - and headed off to Imperial College London to complete a PhD as part of the ReaCt Centre for Doctoral Training.

The most influential and supportive person in my life has always been my mum. Every achievement I have made is also her achievement, we have done it all together and I wouldn't have made it without her.

Xin: I was born and raised in Shanghai, China, where I attended schools that followed the traditional Chinese curriculum. Eight years ago, I moved to the United States for my undergraduate study.

Working towards a PhD in Chemistry was not something I had planned, but rather a happy coincidence. Since I was young, I have been interested in learning about materials science. My dad used to work for 3M, and he taught me English by reading the company's Chinese-English bilingual product catalogue. I was fascinated by all kinds of amazing materials and wanted to contribute to their future development.

During my undergraduate studies, I realised that materials science is an interdisciplinary subject that is closely related to both chemistry and physics, which led me to choose Applied Physics as my major. I graduated from Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and am now working towards my PhD under the supervision of Dr Julia Payne at the University of St Andrews.

Jaime: I am originally from Madrid, Spain. My journey in chemistry began at Hastings School in Madrid, where I had the chance to explore the beauty of science through the vast amount of practical work in the curriculum.

Initially, I wanted to study aerospace engineering. After completing a course on rockets from Duke University, I thought my interest was related to the physics behind the structure of rockets. But I soon realised what truly impressed me was how the combination of reactive substances, at the appropriate pressure and temperature, can give the required energy to elevate such a massive structure. From that point onwards, I was fascinated by the world of chemistry.

One person who inspired me and helped me to understand chemistry was my A-level chemistry teacher, Hal Pattenden. He gave me the support I needed to pursue a career in chemistry. I can definitely say I would not be where I am right now if it had not been for him.

What has Broadening Horizons in the Chemical Sciences meant for you?

Carla: The Broadening Horizons programme has been absolutely incredible. The first day when we were all together in the RSC's Burlington House was remarkable. I have never stood in a room with so many other people of colour who are also chemists. For the first time in my whole academic career, I realised I did belong in the world of chemistry. That is a feeling I will treasure forever.

I have learnt so many new skills, things like how to network and make yourself a memorable name. I have the most fantastic mentor, Tom, a senior scientist at AstraZeneca. We have monthly catch-up sessions, discussing everything from career development and interview prep to how to approach difficult conversations in the workplace.

Some of the Broadening Horizons programme partners have offered ringfenced internship placements - by far the biggest commitment I have seen from these companies. I have been lucky enough to get an internship with Unilever, and I am so excited to get some industrial experience for the first time, with a company that cares not only about its dedication to its employees and the planet, but also about diversity. They have identified a problem and have actively made steps in an extremely short space of time to fix it.

In our most recent meeting, we discussed effective strategies for crafting a CV for job applications and soft skills required for R&D positions.

At the career tasting event, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with professionals in the chemistry industry and connect with other BAME students with similar academic backgrounds and career aspirations, resulting in the formation of new friendships.

Jaime: Coming from a household where science has never been present in family conversations - in fact, I will be the first scientist in my family in a few years’ time - I had almost no clue about the different chemical companies based in the UK.

We tend to only learn how chemistry works in academia, but we rarely see it in practice in all its forms. Being part of the Broadening Horizons programme has given me a new perspective on chemistry; how it is employed in industry, the various opportunities awaiting after I finish my studies, and how normal it is if a professional career shifts direction with time.

With support from my mentor, Maria Ashe, I applied for an industrial placement at Syngenta as a synthetic chemist and was offered a placement for next year. I cannot express enough how grateful I am for being part of this programme, and I truly do not know if I would be where I am at this stage if I had not taken part in this experience. 

What's next for you in your career?

Carla: The next step for my career is to take every opportunity I can during the internship, learn as much as I can about industry and how to transfer into it post-PhD. I then will head back to Imperial, finish the last two years of my PhD and hopefully get a great job! I wouldn't have got the internship without the Broadening Horizons programme; in fact, I don't think the internship would have existed without it. I love chemistry, and I always want to be involved in science.