Meet Catherine Cimon-Paquet
Catherine Cimon-Paquet graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Montréal in 2017 and a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Montreal in 2019. She is currently a PhD candidate in Psychology at Université du Québec à Montréal. In her free time, Catherine runs and trains for half marathons! She enjoys doing yoga and meditates everyday. She reads books and works on side projects such as her scientific podcast, Entropie.
When did your love of STEM begin?
When I was a child, I loved trying science experiments with my parents. I was fascinated by chemistry, medicine, astronomy and I really enjoyed writing. I was a curious child and I always asked a lot of questions. During high school, I knew that I wanted to pursue a science career. It took a few years for me to decide in which field I wanted to study. I chose to study human behaviours. I found psychology research to be interesting because it is a mix of science and arts. We examine human behaviours and it is unique complexity. My favourite part is to study human relationships and how we change over time.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
I enjoy working in STEM because I think science can make a difference in people's lives and our society. Studying childhood and adolescence can help us to better understand the needs of children. With our findings, we hope to make better prevention programs and to improve children's lives. Everyday, I meet interesting people with different stories to tell. I get to ask all sorts of questions and I try to find answers. Ultimately, I get to travel and see the world. I go to scientific conferences and meet other researchers who are interested in psychology. I also get to mentor students who are motivated and hopefully, help them to follow their own dreams.
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
Believe in yourself! Even when people tell you it is hard to pursue a science career, it is possible. If you are willing to work hard and chase your goals, anything is possible. Also, try to find a mentor, someone who believes in you. It is helpful to have someone who you can talk to and who can give you helpful advice. Finally, enjoy the process! Even if you fail sometimes, keep going, you will learn a lot from your mistakes. Science is so fun and there are many ways to achieve your goals.