Sarah

Biography

Sarah (an alias chosen to maintain her anonymity) is a twice-exceptional engineer and project manager in the manufacturing sector with over a decade of professional experience. Diagnosed with ADHD at four and a half years old after a kindergarten teacher recognised her hyperactive, highly gifted nature, she grew up undergoing early cognitive testing and attending holiday "academic boot camps" focused on pattern recognition. She went on to complete a double degree in engineering and science, relying on rigorous personal routines to manage her condition. Upon entering the workforce, the abrupt transition from academia's strict structure to an unsupervised environment contributed to a period of depression, shaping her deep understanding of workplace dynamics and boundary-setting. Highly self-aware, she communicates her neurodivergence openly to new leaders—even providing incoming managers with a personal SWOT analysis detailing how to optimise her performance. Sarah is a strong advocate for psychological safety, private quiet spaces, flexible working arrangements, and dedicated neurodiversity training for middle management to build genuinely inclusive workplace cultures