❤ Love Letter to Your Thesis 2024 competition was really fabulous!! ❤

This year, the competition was run between mid-February and mid-March. Thank you all for your patience to select the winners, this first part of 2024 has been very busy!

After carefully read and think about all the wonderful letter you have sent us, reflecting about your emotions and feelings converted to a Letter to Your Thesis, we (the PGR Development Team) selected 6 marvelous letters as the winners of this year!

🏆 We have received 19 entries this year! and we got 6 winners, in six different catherogies 🏆

Here they are:

🤝 Best First-meeting - Jingjing Guo
💕 Most Romantic - Fatoumata Kinteh
🍋 Most Bittersweet - Lauren Smith
🤩 Most Inspiring - Eleanor Dickson-Murray
🤔 Most Thought-provoking - Michelah Brown
👋 Best Goodbye - Katharine Childs

Many congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone for participating. Your letters were so creative, genuine, and wonderful to read. We are so proud of all the work and efforts you put into this ❤❤❤

We have also asked our winners their permission about presenting to the world their wonderful letter… and they have accepted! This year competition dedicated blog will be divided in two parts: 3 letters would be attached to this entry and posted today, and the other 3 letters will be posted two weeks from today!

Below you will see a bit bio of each of our winners. After each winner’s bio, you will see their wonderful letter.

Thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy them just as much as we did !! ❤

Love Letter to Your Thesis 2024 Winners

Jingjing Guo is a 1st year Ph.D. student at the Behavioural-AI lab in the School of Computing Science at the UofG.
Currently, she's struggling with modelling mimicry in human-human interaction and hope to apply it to engagement estimation. Twitter: @JacquelineKuo1

My dearest, thesis:

It's quite hard to believe that I've never declared our engagement after we really met each other, even after we settled on the engagement theme itself.

I always think back to your first official appearance in front of me. You approached me after I gave an awkward presentation in which I rambled through the literature review without getting anywhere in my group meeting. You just occupied my brain when you filled the room. You were a large full moon suspending in the sky slightly above the Arthur's Seat, with the sea reflecting your gentle, radiant shine. How could one overlook such wonder view. I had no idea where you were coming from. You just, showed up. Suddenly, I didn't realize I was in the presentation and somehow the rest of my group members disappeared. Did you noticed our supervisor's face when I stopped in the middle of my presentation? It might be my mistake, but it was exactly the face you gave me when we were on the verge of breaking up. Sad, huh...? I should have sensed from the bottom of my heart that you are different from my exes. Surely, you thought I would treat you as my previous ideas. You might also think my longlasting postpone to officially annouce our engagement would be my everlasting cowardice and procrastination. Even though I thought it was a demonstration of my prudence, I don't even believe myself anymore. I feel so sorry for what I did to you, which gave you the impression that you were only a stepping stone to my future. I am aware that a lone promise is not convincing, but life is about how we dedicate our energies to these tiny pledges. Isn't it? So, would you kindly grant me permission to become a part of your lifetime and get engage to you with our 'engagement theme'? With my so humble heart, bless you with every piece of my love.

Forever yours,
J

Fatoumata Kinteh is a MScR student in Biochemistry and Biotechnology in the Oral Sciences Department at the Glasgow Dental School and Hospital under the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing. Fatoumata’s research is based on the “use of synthetic mRNA transfection encoding telomerase to improve lifespan of dental pulp stem cells".

Dearest Thesis,

It took so much courage to make the decision to finally get to meet you and know you. The days prior to our meeting were one of the most exciting days of my life as I travel across a continent to get to where you and I are expected to start the very first chapter of our life. I stayed calm and was looking forward to meeting you and start off a relationship that I am certain will rub off on me forever. I took the initiative and followed through with the introduction, following which I became so terrified and started questioning everything again.

I shrink away to a corner, “this is wrong. I should not have step into this new territory.” I kept telling myself repeatedly. My fears grew and I became petrified, I am going to withdraw I finally tell myself. It is not because you were the wrong choice or that you were not interesting enough, but it is simply because I do not believe I am worthy of you, and I doubted that I will ever be committed to you the way you truly deserved.

We were from two different worlds; I do not see how we can bring my chemistry background to meet with the molecular biology you are offering. However, you showed me that I have what it takes to see it through. You became a new inspiration and motivated me to believe in myself, to be insightful, to work harder and most importantly to be patient with myself. With the thought that I have you by my side, I began to search through the various available resources at my disposal to help me give our relationship a shot. I have worked day in day out, and of course including the weekends, in the labs, the library, and even the quiet parks.

The more research I do, the easier it gets, and the more comfortable I become with you. My gallery filled with the various adventures we take, from the beautiful fluorescence microscope images, gel images amongst others. I understand that you are demanding, and “love” attention, but I am glad that sometimes you allow me to explore other things.

We are meant to part ways soon to allow me to grow, however, to live up to your expectations I promise to soar in the quest we started together, and with the newfound confidence, I am truly committed to cherish the bond I share with you. I have no doubt that someday, you will become me and I you.

Love

Fatoumata

Lauren Smith is an autistic author and Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on young autistic people’s views and experiences of alternative provision settings. Lauren is the founder of A Different Perspective CIC, a community group supporting young autistic people and their families.

Dear my love,

Before I met you, I had space to be single. My gap year was an opportunity to figure out who I am and who I like. Although I never quite got to grips with it; I just dreamed of a committed relationship.

And then you came along. This was liberating; I had a chance with you. I read all the books, watched the videos, and followed social media content creators to create a bond with you. I poured my heart and soul into the relationship, at times losing myself. I endeavored to understand you, to continually show up for you and do my best. What do I get in return?

Academia is enchanting and lonely at the same time. Friends are my inspiration and motivation; they can see how much I care about you. Although, I have become overwhelmed at just how much effort it takes to build a strong relationship.

It turns out I’m in a situationship. I thought love was reciprocal, though it may be unrequited. The confusion, the inconsistency, the non-commitment. A meaningless fling. Is it a ploy to fill the void? Do we put on a façade to appear ‘happy,’ are we scared to be alone, are we under pressure from society? Our relationship is fragmented yet invigorating.

We’ve had several disagreements which has led to internal debates. The journey is bewildering. Pockets of joy can quickly threaten to tipple. We put up with speculation from others.

Beginning a new chapter is scary. I’m afraid of intimacy and the rejection of my ideas. I’m terrified of change and of being set apart in my thoughts. At times, you changed your mind about what you wanted to happen and how you want me to approach you; you are incongruous. The chances of seeing us through to the end were jeopardised. There are parallels and paradoxes in our love for each other. I am in a state of confusion.

I become chronically exhausted, mentally drained by processing and engaging. Engulfed by heartbreak; I realise we have different trajectories. Although this is a hard pill to swallow, I am slowly understanding your perspective and seeing the value in taking a different shape.

I’m learning that there’s no set relationship ladder, there are only guidelines. I am reflective and can choose what is right for me. I’m the only one who can untangle the mess. Struggles and triumphs are a part of the process of self-discovery and finding our voice.

I can be intimidated by other research and other doctoral journeys. But I must realise that what we have is special. We need to be grounded; at our core is passion, strength, and confidence. Entrenched is our need for healing, growth, and love; and for our voice to be seen as worthy.

Drifting apart but clinging on.

So high yet left feeling so low. So connected yet so distant.

Is it too late for us? I don’t want to turn the page.

Love, your partner in crime.