How I got through the loss of my supervisors

"I had begun to consider him as a father figure in my life."

"Despite the many commitments that come with being an illustrious scientist, he made time for me, and our partnership bloomed."

"In a time that should have been full of excitement for the challenge ahead, I was full of uncertainty."

"Keith was the obvious successor. He knew me, my project and my relationship with Jeremy, which provided me with some stability."

The article narrates the emotional journey of a graduate student who experienced the loss of two mentors, Jeremy McNeil and Keith Hobson, within a year. After being mentored by Jeremy for two years, the student was reclassified as a PhD candidate just days before Jeremy entered hospice care and subsequently passed away. Jeremy’s mentorship had significantly shaped the student’s scientific passion and personal growth, likened to a father figure. With Jeremy gone, Keith, a familiar face, stepped in but also faced sudden death three months later, leaving the student to navigate profound loss and uncertainty.

Read at Nature