Student Spotlight: Yasmin Garcia-Sterling

What inspired you to do the course? 

One of the biggest passions I’ve had in life is to continue learning and developing myself in the post graduate education where I could learn how to refer to people, researchers and sectors that are doing extraordinary things globally. It also helps fulfil my aspiration to support other minority students like myself so that they can be inspired to contribute to research and take a part in improving the society. 

My supervisor, Professor Michael Pitt inspired my journey into property research where I have been able to use my creative and action-focused research to add value and innovate changes. His network in the industry, his calibre and desire to ensure that research can make a difference to the built environment sector was why I chose to do my PhD with BSSC. Every day I am inspired by the wide talent pool in my cohort, the international presence, and multidisciplinary backgrounds that I have had the opportunity to network with.   

What is your highlight/one big takeaway of the course? 

Conducting research in BSSC enables me to improve my technological understanding of the 5.0 industry and learn with a growth mindset to apply statistics, code, and provide architectural solutions to my study. Despite researching during the pandemic, I managed to attend virtual conferences and now I am looking forward to presenting my work this January 2023 in Sydney, Australia. I am thrilled to share some of the takeaways from my research area of digital transformation with Wayfinding in existing buildings.  

Big takeaways from my course have also relayed in the transferable skills I have earned such as my ability to network, raise self-confidence and appreciative inquiry. Being able to work as an active member of BSSC, the Bartlett and UCL; as a Postgraduate teaching assistant, the Bartlett's faculty representative and research consultant contributes to driving the growth in my skills which I am forever grateful for. Thanks to these skills, I have become a valued member of groups and projects that have similar interests, and knowing that my work aids our society is truly a fulfilling experience.  

What were your challenges while studying at BSSC? 

Out of my full-time researcher world, I've blossomed a colourful life: growing up with dyslexia, leaving care, then becoming a proud young mother and giving care to my now 10-year-old daughter. Taking those into account, I have not yet found the words that could fully describe how challenging it was during my postgraduate education at BSSC. But in retrospect, there is not one day that I didn't learn something new, and it enables me to realize that resilience is a must! Each challenge comes with many steps to overcome, and I experience it with a sense of gratitude. Research is an independent endeavour, with many trials and tribulations - but it is certainly not impossible and has been mostly rewarding along the way.  

How has this course contributed to your current role/how does it link to what you would like to do in your future career? 
In the future, I would like to remain part-time in research, to teach in universities and to offer my support and experience to the next generation of students. I am on board as a trustee as well as an advisor to a managing director at two charities, which gives me the assurance that I can take a step into industry work. I am seeking and applying for either a consultancy, project or product management position as I am coming to the end of my PhD degree.  

Making this transition out of research allows me to apply for an array of roles with my transferable skills and the time to seek a position that fits the most. This is a fantastic position and would have never been possible without the stepping stone I gained from the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction (BSSC) UCL.