The Inspire Project: Melissa Forfitt
April 12, 2023
Inspire Portrait and Interview by Ginger Liu
INSPIRE seeks to capture photographic portraits of the York St John’s PGR community, accompanied by short interviews about who inspired you on your postgraduate journey.
Tell me about your background and what you do if you work, the area you live in, etc.
I started my undergraduate studies at York St John University back in 2017, which is when I started my Computer Science degree. Graduating in 2020, I knew that I wasn’t ready to give up the student life and after my love for research had blossomed whilst studying for my undergraduate degree, the natural choice was for me to study for a Masters by Research next.
I am originally from Solihull in the West Midlands, but when I moved up to Yorkshire for university, I stayed and now reside in East Yorkshire. Having lived all around the country (started in the Midlands, then moved down to the South Coast, then up North), Yorkshire feels most like home for me now.
What is your Ph.D. about, what year, and why York SJ?
My Masters by Research is on the topic of Cyber Security Awareness. Specifically, I researched the level of cyber security awareness amongst young adults in the UK. I have just completed my Masters by Research. I am hoping to continue my research by starting a PhD in the next year. The reason why I chose York St John is because I did my undergraduate degree here, and realistically the university feels like my second home. I have had so many opportunities whilst being a student here, including having the opportunity to be a research assistant alongside my undergraduate studies, which ultimately sparked my love for research. The university is growing, including the research department, and I am excited for the future of York St John, which is why I decided to do my Masters degree here and ultimately why I wish to pursue my PhD at York St John, too.
What is your PGR journey? What steps did you make, hardships, hurdles, dreams, and reasons why you wanted to be a PGR?
My passion for research stems from the research activities I did during my undergraduate degree. After finishing my Computer Science degree, the most natural decision was for me to go on to study for either a Masters by Research or a PhD. As much as I wanted to go straight into doing a PhD, I was recommended by my lecturers at the time to do a Masters by Research first. Now that I have completed it, I feel much more equipped for a PhD now than when I finished my undergraduate studies back in 2020.
Being a postgraduate researcher has not been an easy journey. I started my postgraduate studies in 2020, which was a time of uncertainty and due to COVID-19 and the various lockdowns we had, I had to adapt and change my research demographic because of this. Whilst it was difficult at the time, it taught me a key skill – adaptability. I had to analyse the situation and adapt so that I could continue and still make it work.
...the one thing that kept me going was my passion for my research.
Doing a postgraduate research degree was much harder than I thought it would be. I struggled mentally whilst doing my postgraduate degree, with several confidence knock-backs along the way. There were times when I felt incapable of carrying out my research and writing up my thesis, with comparison being the greatest hindrance for me. Moreover, I think that because a research degree lacks the clear structure that you have as an undergraduate student, it can be difficult to motivate yourself and at times you can find yourself in a bit of a rut. However, the one thing that kept me going was my passion for my research. Cyber security awareness is such an important topic – it is something that affects us all in our ever-advancing technological world. In the end, I managed to push through as I grew my confidence by engaging with the community and presenting at the research conference ‘Eat. Sleep. Research. Repeat.’ for the past 2 years. The feeling when I submitted my thesis was something that made the entire journey worth it.
Who inspired you to study for PGR and why?
I think the people who inspired me the most significantly to pursue my research were my lecturers who were passionate about Computer Science, and I even had the opportunity to work alongside some of them to assist with their research, which made me realise that research is exciting, and I want to be a part of this research community. If it wasn’t for my lecturers that I had for my undergraduate studies, I wouldn’t be doing what I am now today.
How important is it to have inspiration to drive your PGR?
Inspiration is something that will lead to motivation which will ultimately drive forward your research. It’s important to have people that inspire you and role-models who you can look up to and aspire to be like one day.
What would you say to others who are thinking about PGR studies but have doubts about their personal abilities or confidence, etc?
If you have a topic that you are passionate about and you love research, you should absolutely go for it. Being a postgraduate research student means developing your abilities, your skills, and your confidence. You are not expected to turn up and have a shiny, polished skillset ready to smash your postgraduate studies. Instead, you are expected to have a growth mindset, with determination to learn, grow, and work steadily towards your postgraduate research.
How would you like to thank your inspirations in words for this blog post?
Academia can be a stressful environment and I know this first-hand. However, the impact that lecturers and supervisors have is unfathomable. I am truly grateful for any of the academic staff I have been taught by or worked with for inspiring me to pursue my research studies. My confidence has grown significantly since my first year of university back in 2017, and the people that I have met and worked with at York St John University, both past and present, are undoubtably to thank for this, so thank you.
I come from a non-academic background, and I am the first in my family to go to university. I am in an industry where females are the minority. However, I have never let this be a barrier to achieving what I want to achieve. The biggest asset you can have is determination.
