Page 34 - VIA Broschüre

SARAH

STANSKE

One of the first workshops I attended as ground had been growing to a true amuse-
DISSERTATION TOPIC a PhD student was a session with Jeff Martin, ment park, which I was enjoying at full cost.
Born out of Boredom: an experienced US scholar, who gave junior Little did I know that people might get sick
Tracing Identity-Challenging people his take on doing research and how when driving the roller coaster too often.
Innovations in an Established
Organization to survive the time as a PhD student. He
compared his PhD time with a “playground” Over time, I noticed that I lost my interest
PERIOD OF STAY or a “candy shop”: It is a time to play around in some of the projects. I could not focus
02/2016 – 12/2019 with different ideas, maybe engage in various any longer and became more and more
CURRENT POSITION projects, and just stroll around to see with insecure regarding my present activities,
Postdoctoral Researcher whom you want work, together. “I loved it” but also regarding my overall future. Can
at Leuphana University was his conclusion. I really make it in academia? Isn’t there
of Luneburg something else in life? In the end, I had to
Though the time as a PhD student is often take some time off to reflect, to find myself,
described as an emotional roller coaster, and to regain strength. I was very lucky that
I loved this job and started to see the aca- I had people around me who supported me
demic world as my personal playground. to the fullest; people who continued to
There were many fantastic opportunities believe in me, although I did not. Only with
out there which I wanted to experience. the help of the members of the DCR pro-
I talked to many interesting people, started gram could I advance further and become
new projects with companies, worked with stronger than before.
some of the best scholars in my community,
and travelled around the world to present And today? Research remains my passion.
my findings at different conferences. I even It is what I love and what I can do well. It is
received a best-paper prize and a Swiss still (or again) a playground for me with
scholarship enabling me to move to the many different opportunities, which I truly
United States for one month to work on my enjoy. But I learned that most of the play-
research skills. After having received also a grounds also have benches inviting people
positive feedback for an internationally to rest for some time and sit down to share
renowned journal, my supervisors joked life experiences. And sometimes sitting on
that things were going too smoothly as benches is exactly what I need, before run-
there had been no major problems in my ning back to the playground to do the things
PhD journey at all. My personal, small play- that I love so much.
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