Rosemary Coogan
1. When you were at Brighton & Hove High School, and what is your fondest memory of school?
I was at Brighton & Hove High between 2002-2009. My fondest memories are spending time with my classmates, both during lessons and outside of school. I remember feeling really comfortable at the school, and that meant we could enjoy the learning and have a lot of laughs as well. We also had a residential week in Boughrood when I was 12, which was great fun.
2. Who was your favourite teacher and why?
There are a number of teachers who I felt went above and beyond, particularly in the sixth form. I have specific memories of Mr Marsh always being incredibly animated, even standing on top of the desks from time to time if I remember correctly(!), which made for really engaging chemistry lessons.
3. What were the benefits of being in an all-girls school?
It’s really important to have the right learning environment, whether it’s a single-sex school or mixed. I personally feel I had fewer distractions being at an all-girls school, and I had plenty of opportunities to ask questions, particularly in the smaller classes.
4. What did you want to be when you ‘grew-up’?
I was interested in a lot of different subjects at school, from science to the classics, and I considered a career in medicine or veterinary science. By the time I started A-levels I had a firm idea that I wanted to end up in a scientific field, and I’ve always been fascinated by space.
5. What do you do now, and what are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your job?
Since April I’ve been in training as an astronaut for the European Space Agency (ESA). It’s an intense schedule with a wide range of topics we need to be proficient in, but there’s naturally some uncertainty in terms of when missions will be assigned. I love learning so many new things every day. It’s a privilege to have experts guiding us, and it will be hugely rewarding to contribute to scientific research on the international space station, and perhaps even further afield one day
6. What are you most proud of so far?
I was a research astronomer before I started training at ESA. As a junior researcher the career path can be both competitive and insecure, as to be successful you need to be prepared to work anywhere in the world on short term contracts. I’m proud that I pushed through moments of challenge and uncertainty to stay in a career which fundamentally inspires me.
7. What was the best piece of advice you were given whilst at Brighton?
Rather than advice I was given, I would say I really appreciated being given the opportunity to study subjects at A-level in which I was the only student (Physics and Further Maths – I hope that these courses are becoming fuller!). It must have been a lot of work for the teachers to teach me 1-on-1, but I think it goes without saying that my career path would have been very different if I hadn’t been supported in this.
8. What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?
I would tell myself to be open to exploring anything and everything over the next few years, as our career paths certainly aren’t decided when we leave school. I would remind myself what a fantastic position it is to be able to study and learn full-time, and to make the very most of opportunities to ask questions.
9. What book, film or piece of music would you recommend to your younger self and to your fellow alumnae?
I’m a fan of science-fiction books as well as the classics, and definitely cheesy pop music. I find specific recommendations difficult, because I think music and books can be great for the mind to escape, so it really depends on where you want to go 🙂
10. How would you like to be remembered?
Day to day it can be easy to get caught up in your own concerns. If I was remembered as somebody who let my friends and family know how much I appreciated them and everything they do, that would be a great start.
