We’re so happy to start the month of August announcing to everyone that BWiS Network has been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the The Catalyst in Me. The Sunshine Blogger Award is an accolade awarded from blogger to blogger.
The Catalyst in Me is a blog run by and hosts a range of topics from paleontology (THE GREAT HUMAN ROAD TRIP) to all things melanin (NUBIAN QUEEN, BLACK KING, MELANIN POPPIN'). We’ve been fans for a while and previously linked their blog post SUNSCREEN in our post Melanin Magic. Their website also hosts Student Profiles where students can connect. The Catalyst in Me nominated BWiS Network alongside other 10 other bloggers (check out her Sunshine Blogger Award post here). Be sure to check out The Catalyst in Me website, Twitter and Instagram.
Having launched BWiS Network exactly 3 months ago today, we’re honoured to be have been nominated for this reward. It’s great that a fellow blogger has noticed our potential. We currently host a blog section and members forum to reach as many people as possible.
The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions
4. List the rules and display the sunshine blogger award logo in your post and or on your blog.
Questions from The Catalyst in Me
1. Describe your blog in 3 words
Ambitious, social, informative
2. If you won a Noble Prize, what would you want it in?
Nobel Peace Prize - for contributing to the progression towards equality.
3. What motivated you to start your blog?
BWiS is here to bridge the gap between those at different stages of their careers and between the rest of the scientific community. Our weekly blog posts are meant to instigate conversation in our members forum and give members an insight into science news.
4. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start a blog?
Whether it be in science or not, you’d be pleasantly surprised by how many people are interested in what you have to say. It’s so important to be confident in your ability. Before you start, set up an immediate plan - know how often you plan to post, what you want to post and make sure you have goals and objectives for your blog.
5. Which celebrity do you most relate to and why?
It’s hard to pick one but Maya Angelou used her talent to voice her struggles - she’s definitely one of the women who’s life continues to inspire us to speak up and do good.
6. Would you like to become a full time blogger and why?
Why not? As a network, the future of our network lies in the hands of our members. BWiS hopes to form an online community for women from African and/or Caribbean heritage that are interested in pursuing a career in science. We highlight how important we feel networking is in a previous post, The Power of a Network.
7. If you could be an animal which one would you be and why?
An elephant - mainly because they are a keystone species. They’re survivors and form close bonds in their communities.
8. How do you handle stress?
Talk to someone about it, a problem shared with the right people can be very relieving. We talk a bit more about how important managing stress is in our Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 blog post.
9. Where do you imagine your blog in the next 5 years ?
Hopefully featuring many more guest posts and member posts outlining their experiences and giving then a platform for their advice, reaching more and more black female scientists around the world.
10. What has blogging taught you ?
Science is so broad and we already know so much, and so little at the same time. If science is invested in appropriately, there are so many great minds that will spearhead so mind-blowing discoveries.
11. What motivates you not only in blogging but all areas of your life?
Everyone has something original to offer to the world. No one else can do you better.
Our nominations:
Beefinyourteef, Our Science, Pocket Sized Cook, Fat Science, Rhos Lab, The Microblog, Raw With Nature, SharonWrites, Scientist Bliss and SophTalksScience. We think all the blogs/pages above are making a huge impact and would love to hear their answers to the following questions.
Our questions:
What is your blog about?
Why did you choose science?
What’s your best networking tip?
What is the best thing about the science community?
What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
What is your favourite quote?
How do you relax?
What is the last scientific paper you read?
What advice would you have you given yourself 5 years ago?
What advice would you give yourself in 5 years time?
Do you have a mentor? If yes, who is it? If no, who would you want it to be?
We want to thank The Catalyst in Me for nominating us for this award - we value the show of support. Make sure you check out their website - and let them know you came from BWiS Network.