Tamsyn Hawken
She/Her
I am gay and I am a psychology PhD Student. //
I grew up in a small rural Cornish village, and there were two people who I knew who were “out.” During my teens I had no one to relate to. When I moved to Bath for my Undergraduate I started to realize I wasn’t alone. It wasn’t until I was completing my master’s at the age of 23 that I finally had a role model to whom I could relate: a female psychology professor who had a female partner. I finally felt like there was a place for me in my field, where all of me could be welcome and I didn’t need to hide. Precious energy spent on what people might think of me could be spent pursuing a subject I absolutely loved: psychology. I’m now a proud member of Kaleidoscope, the Staff and PGR student group at my university, and also a proud member of my psychology department, researching young carers, stress and resilience. I’m inspired by the resilience of communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. I never want to hide who I am. Maybe one day I can be a role model for someone else.