'Have confidence in yourself and dare to dream big'

What if you could give advice to your younger self? Aarti Rathi would encourage her younger self to dream bigger and to fully trust in her own abilities.

Today, she works as a researcher at imec but her story began in India, in a community where girls’ education was not always encouraged. “My parents invested in my future and I’m very grateful for that.”

Who was the young Aarti?

“I grew up in India with my mum, dad and brother. My father worked abroad to support our family and came home every few months. My mother was a homemaker and never had the opportunity to study. We didn’t have much but my parents were determined to give my brother and me an education, no matter what.”

Did you feel pressure from your parents?

“Yes, indirectly. I was brought up with the idea that you need to study to become financially independent. My parents sacrificed a lot to make this possible and got dirty looks from people in our community. 

Where I come from, it wasn’t common for girls to get an education, but my parents never made a distinction between my brother and me and pushed us to realise our full potential. They may even have pushed me a little more.”

What would you like to say to your younger self?

“That you shouldn’t doubt yourself and that you can really have confidence in yourself, but also that hard work will take you further than you ever dared to dream. Big dreams can come true.”

What does working at imec mean to you?

“I’m truly blessed to be working at imec. You can be ambitious and at the same time they give you space for self-care. My husband lives and works in India and although we only see each other a few months a year, it feels right. Professional fulfilment gives me the mental peace to nurture my personal life as well. I didn’t have that balance before, I didn’t pay enough attention to my mental health back then. Now I know how important that is.”