Discovering Marianne

Marianne looks forward and makes things happen.

This is not Marianne Hull-Cantillo’s ordinary office. Like many of us over the past few months, my Costa Rican friend has been living with unpredictable, and makeshift spaces.

Marianne has made it work. A once empty, and mostly unused table now serves as her desk. Wires, books, screens, and other equipment are arranged as neatly as they can fit around each other. To the right, and in front, are two big windows. It is one of the brightest corners in our house.

It’s a big picture space, for a big picture person, a space for someone who likes to look forward. In other words, it’s a space which says a lot about Marianne, and how her forward thinking motivates her to make things happen.

Marianne confesses she is a little nervous. I watch her swing side-to-side in her swivel chair. Then I look at the mountain of research she has sitting on her desk, and the data (colour coded spreadsheets I don’t understand) on the screens behind her.

I remind Marianne that we can reschedule. Afterall, despite what readers might think, I haven’t bribed, or guilt-tripped any of my amazing housemates into participating in this project. No chocolate bars have swapped hands (yet).

Marianne laughs. She likes the blog, she says, and the stories it stands for. Marianne knows what my work means to me, and she wants to help.

I sit, completely schooled. Marianne has just reminded me of the big picture.

As our conversation continues, I prepare myself. I think I’m about to be reminded of a few more important truths.

The highlights of our chat:

Is there something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? 

Yes. For three years now I’ve had in mind this little project. I don’t know if it will be on social media, or a blog, but I just want to share some of the things  I’ve learnt on my journey, growing up, and things I’ve been through in life have been hard. For different reasons I have ended up seeing a psychologist and I think that was really helpful for me to develop emotional intelligence. I want to have a way to let people know these tools are out there. So that’s a big part of the project I have in mind but I also want to be able to share scientific facts, and the values I believe in, even things about relationships. I want it to be about people, to start a conversation where we share with each other what has helped us to learn. I just haven’t had time. There’s always something going on but I’m really hoping to get started soon. 

Tell me about a difficult experience which turned out to be really good for you?

For uni, I moved to the United States on a tennis scholarship. Then my coach cut my scholarship, and it was really tough. At first I also took it as a chance to improve my tennis. So I spent a month in France, and I practiced a lot. I came out of it a better player. I was winning more matches, but that was still not enough for my coach. So there was a point where I felt unappreciated, and the scholarship wasn’t coming back. That was when I started looking for other opportunities. I found another coach, and I changed schools. But more than that the people I met at my new school marked my life forever. Three of my professors were such an inspiration for me. They are the reason I am doing a PhD now. They taught me to be a better scientist and a better person. 

What is the best thing about being human?

I think the best thing about being human is our capacity to rationalise things. I don’t know if that’s the right word. What I’m trying to say is: we can think about our feelings. We can get up off the couch even if we feel lazy. We have the capacity to stop and think through our experiences. We are able to take our life wherever we want it. I really believe we have everything we need to achieve what we want to do. If you have a goal, and you put in the work, and it’s good for you, it will happen. Our ability to overcome, that’s the best part.

Marianne’s dream in progress:

At heart, Marianne is a scientist. Right now, PhD studies take up a big chunk of Marianne’s time and energy.

Marianne believes in the power of science to benefit the future. Her vision is a sustainable, and environmentally friendly farming system.

What does that mean in practice? Marianne is working to develop a way to treat dairy waste with algae, and generate energy. In the future, she hopes her findings will lead to major economic, and ethical benefits for the farming industry, and Aotearoa as a whole.

It’s a big idea. As someone who dropped science after Year 10, I might have been sceptical if I had heard this possibility from anyone else.

But coming from Marianne? The vision becomes possible. I believe my forward thinking friend can make it happen.