Dear everyone, I wanted to write to say how thankful I am for everything surrounding my PhD defence last Friday. Since then, things have slowly settled, but I keep coming back to how fortunate I feel for the people who shared that moment with me. Having so many of you present made the day feel both meaningful and reassuring. Being able to look out and see familiar faces reminded me that this journey was never something I walked alone. I was also genuinely moved by the generosity and thought behind the gifts. They were unexpected, thoughtful, and will always remind me not only of this milestone, but of the community connected to it. Throughout my PhD, I often returned to an African proverb, Ubuntu: “I am because you are.” It feels especially fitting now, as this experience was shaped in so many ways by the people around me. Thank you for being part of this journey and for sharing this moment with me. This is hopefully not a goodbye, but very much a “see you later.” With warm thanks, Tamara
Tamara Hiltunen
Pr.Sci.Nat (Ecological Science)
SACNASP registration number: 400055/14
Doctoral Researcher
Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry Lab
Ecology and Genetics Research Unit
University of Oulu
Finland
Researcher profile: Tamara Ann Hiltunen | University of Ouluhttps://www.oulu.fi/en/researchers/tamara-ann-hiltunen
Affiliated Doctoral Researcher, Kvantum Institute (oulu.fi)https://www.oulu.fi/kvantum and Biodiverse Anthropocenes | University of Ouluhttps://www.oulu.fi/en/biodiverse-anthropocenes
Mobile: +358 41 809 7095
Email: tamara.hiltunen@oulu.fimailto:tamara.hiltunen@oulu.fi
Room: B221
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