It is nice to be a woman and a scientist, but it is really hard. I am a mother of two beautiful kids, a girl, and a boy. That little girl in the picture is me (at 4 years old)
My father started to teach me chess when I was 4 years old. I started to play, learn, and went to primary school before my 6th birthday. I always liked to learn, play sports (tennis, table tennis), enjoy, research, travel, etc. I finished university at the age of 22, earned my PhD at 27, and became the youngest Assistant Professor at the University of Zagreb at the age of 28, and Professor at the age of 37. Now, I am 41 and will never stop learning, I enjoy it!
I am a Professor in Food Engineering, working on non-thermal and advanced thermal processing in food science and technology. I am curious and like to connect with colleagues from other disciplines and other fields. It is sometimes difficult, but having the same goal is a great experience. I am here for science, research, to educate students, to work with them. I am sometimes idealistic and naive, as I think we should all be positive and work for the beauty of achieving something, and in delivering some good scientific results, and gaining experience. I am working on myself to become a better scientist and person, and trying to be a better version of myself than yesterday.
It is really hard to manage all roles, mother, wife, sister, daughter, teacher, scientist, friend, colleague, and other beautiful roles. It is hard to work and fight every day for a better place to work and live. It is even harder if you do not have support in the workplace, but in the end, every mother, despite the workplace, should always stand for herself and be a role model for their kids. We can make progress and small steps by ourselves, and never stop building a better world, workplace, and small improvements to the systems. We have somebody that is watching us, and women and scientists should be brave, optimistic, and never stop playing, learning, and fighting for the right to be respected, equal in society and ask for better conditions and support!
My favorite role is, of course, being a mother 🙂