I’m about to turn the number that lots of people dread… But honestly? I’ve been ready for 40 for a while now.
Maybe it’s because most of my friends are already in their 50s and unless we are using it to win an argument I never notice the difference. Maybe it’s because I ticked off my life dream early and had to start improvising. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been through enough to know that every year I get to be here, doing what I love, is a pretty big deal, and worthy of appreciation
This isn’t about bragging. It’s about celebrating…. Taking stock…. Holding myself to account. I’ve worked hard to get here, and now I want to keep growing, with a fresh set of goals and just the right amount of chaos.
So here, you have the 10 things I’m most proud of so far, and my 5 goals for the next part of my story!
1 – Academic Dream Unlocked
I’ve wanted to be a professor since I was six! Not a popstar or a vet. A professor. I thought it sounded like the most magical, clever job in the world. And honestly, I still do.
And now, here I am. As I prepare to turn 40, I’m a solid Deputy Head of a big, brilliant school. I help lead strategy. I support others. I still get excited about every aspect of being a prof!
It’s not just about the title. It’s about proving that it was possible. That little-me wasn’t wrong, and could aim for the stars. I’m living proof, that you can be KIND, geeky, autistic, creative, and chaotic … and still lead fiercly!
2 – Investigations and Research
I’ve done a lot of casework (Over 150 investigations led, and countless more assists!). The sort that keeps you up at night and makes you question everything, then get up the next morning and do it again.
But I didn’t just do the work. I started to build the tools and framworks we needed. Wrote whitepapers. Developed methods. Turned real cases into real change! My research doesn’t start in a lab. It starts in investigations, in long hours with broken devices and impossible questions. It started with people asking “can we even do this?” and me replying “not yet, but give me a minute.”
Now my approaches are used in cases by others across the world. My whitepapers get quietly passed around, and I get messages from people saying “this helped, thank you.”
3 – Innovator of Strange & Brilliant Things
A selection of projects I’ve designed
- Doll’s houses to demonstrate IoT Gossiping,
- Robots (various).
- Custom software tools,
- Fully immersive crime scene rooms,
- Escape rooms with digital evidence trails,
- Labs you actually want to spend time in,
- Entire fictional worlds (Cyberly) with their own villains, company logos, and theme music!
If it can be built and will help digital forensics , I’ve probably built it (or at least its on my to do list!).
And if it can’t? I’ll try anyway, possibly with a Glue Gun, Soldering Iron, Python, and an elaborate backstory. I’ve built story-driven scenarios with fake social media, staged videos, corrupted datasets, and just enough weirdness to make students suspicious ad laugh …. which is the point.
4 – Mental Health in Digital Forensics Advocacy
Digital forensics can be dark, And for a long time, no one wanted to talk about that. We lost people, and still the conversation avoided the elephant in the Room, but I couldn’t.
Even when people told me I was overreacting, or making a fuss, or just wrong …. I kept going. I kept saying that wellbeing mattered. That our community deserved support. That seeing hard things, day in, day out, leaves marks. It was lonely at first, but then I found others who felt the same. We joined forces. We made noise. And now? The conversation is changing!!!
We’re getting heard!! We’re building support!! We’re starting to matter to the people who didn’t listen before!! It’s not about being loud, it’s about being determined. It’s about refusing to let silence win, and it’s about knowing that change, like forensics, starts with the details!
5 – Being the Role Model I wish I’d had
I didn’t have anyone like me to look up to when I was younger (in person, just the odd one on TV), So I became the person I needed when I was younger.
I go into schools and talk about digital forensics and weird devices and how yes, you absolutely can be quirky and clever and kind and still belong here.
I’ve had the privilege of mentoring some truly brilliant humans …. watching them grow, find their voice, and do amazing things. I’ve also been lucky enough to be mentored by people who saw something in me, even when I couldn’t.
I volunteer with survivors of domestic abuse, helping them recover their data safely without giving away their location. I teach with humour and chaos and just the right amount of sparkle. Being a role model isn’t just about public facing, its about you as a person and your code of behaviour.
I’ve won multiple student-led teaching awards, and being nominated regularly, the highlight being a finalist in the VCs Awards my first year at Southampton. More than anything, I try to show people that being different isn’t a problem, it’s a superpower (one with some negatives, but hey, what doesn’t!)
6 – As seen on TV, Radio, in the press …
I never chased media attention, I just really like talking about the weird and wonderful bits of digital forensics. I also love community engagement and sharing my passion.
Turns out, so do the BBC, CNN, and a few million radio listeners (How scary a thought is that!!).
I’ve been on BBC Digital Planet, Inside Science, and Killer at the Crime Scene. I’ve worked behind the scenes with CNN, helping investigate stories that needed digital proof and someone to explain it … and many more
Sometimes it’s live. Sometimes it’s recorded. Sometimes there are microphones in awkward places. I try to make this strange world of bytes and evidence a little clearer, a little more human, and occasionally just a little bit funny.
7 – Adventure
I’m not the kind of person who was born adventurous, I didn’t have many adventures growing up, I was a very overanxious, overachieving geek. Somewhere between forensic deadlines and burnout, I realised I wanted more than screens and schedules. So I started saying yes to adventures.
I survived a stormy cruise to snowy Norway, proper waves and snow …. and so much magic.
I rode camels in Egypt, raced across the desert in a 4×4, and snorkelled in the Red Sea (only because the tour guide was very supportive!). I watched the stars after dark in the Sahara. It was wild and wonderful and full of moments I’ll never forget.
And closer to home, I am now a pro (well with Autistic bounds) at travelling in the UK. Just me, a backpack, and a carefully packed collection of snacks, books, a teddy and a backup plan.
I’m not fearless. But I’ve become brave in my own way, and that feels like a pretty good kind of adventure.
8 – True Friends and a Network
Relationships were never easy for me.
Friendships, dating, even work dynamics … they were confusing and often exhausting. I masked a lot. I misread things. I overthought everything. I’ve probably (definately) lost some good people along the way. Timing….. Missed signals…. Me trying to protect myself.
But something shifted, once I understood myself, and learnt to love myself.
I let people in … properly …. and it turns out the right ones stayed.
Now I’ve got friends who show up, check in, and actually see me. I’ve mentored students, supported colleagues, and built a little network of lovely quirky people who genuinely care. We have a community, for us, it starts with Sherfox Labs and the wider ECS, then extends across the world, and I am proud to be a member!
Turns out, connection isn’t about getting it perfect …. It’s about showing up anyway.
9 – Creative Spirit Fun!
I performed a science comedy routine.
I’ve won awards for cake, pizza, and technology-enhanced learning. I sketch, I build, I tell stories with forensic flair and just enough glitter.
But I let my creativity our for more than just my digital forensic activity. I love to bake, and I love to draw. I’m proud of my creativity and my non technical skills too! Combine them and I create truly unique magic!
10 – I Love Who I Am!
Previously, I was bullied so badly I didn’t know who I was anymore, all based around differences I couldn’t change and because I wouldn’t do things their way. My anxiety was through the roof. I was stimming constantly … my arms and thighs were red raw. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t imagine a version of me that wasn’t just… wrong. I was exhausted. Quietly breaking. And still pushing myself to carry on. Eventually, something in me snapped. Not in a dramatic meltdown kind of way … more like a deep, internal no. No more pretending, No more fitting in by shrinking, No more mentally hurting myself just to survive the day.
…. That’s when I decided to rewrite MY story.
Finding out I’m autistic has really changed everything, It didn’t solve everything, but suddenly the chaos made sense. All the things I hated about myself turned out to be parts of me I just hadn’t been allowed to understand yet. Now, I’m not hiding, I’m not apologising. I’m still learning, still masking sometimes, still working on rest and balance and not expecting myself to be superhuman… but Iove who I am. Finally!!! Loving who I am, has given me confidence, has made life easier, and has made the past few years the most enjoyable time in my life so far.
Level 40 Complete. Loading Side Quests…
…. And I did all that before 40 …. Which, let’s be honest… is pretty epic, but my story is (hopefully) far from over, and there’s a lot still left to do … so where do we go from here? Well I’m still autistic (and huge thank you to the people lately who keep telling me its a deficit … if the above says anything it’s that I’ve achieved more than most, so forgive me for being solidly in the camp of it has its down sides but my brain and I are happy with what we have thanks) … oh wait where was I …. right … I need a new set of goals, I function best with goals. So, here are my 5 goals for before I hit 45 ….
1 – Find (My Kind of) Prince Charming
Not looking for a fairytale prince. Not fussed about castles or crowns. What I am looking for is my Cool Rider (Grease 2 is a great movie!!) …. someone who gets the sparkle and the storm.
Kind. Emotionally intelligent. Quietly anxious but brave in his own way. The sort of person who might swing into your life, but would absolutely hold your hand if you got lost on an adventure. Someone who doesn’t need to know tech, but thinks it’s adorable when I geek out about forensic drives or IoT devices. It takes incredible people to get between me and hyperfocus, they are rare beasts, but I know they are out there! Bonus points if he’s comfortable around teddy bears… Well…. Not just comfortable …. able to accept that Prof Smudge and the gang are here to stay.
Because I don’t want someone to complete me … I want someone who gets me. Someone who knows life is short, and cares more about connection and time now, than worrying about what people think, or what the future holds. The future isn’t guaranteed. Someone who knows that I can save the day on my own…
but also brings snacks and lets me nap on the train home.
2 – More Adventures, Less Worry
I want more adventure in my life!
Not the backpack-round-the-world, skydive-into-a-jungle kind. I just want to expand …. Explore …. Try things I haven’t tried before. Experience the world beyond screens and stress.
And no, I don’t mean throwing myself into sensory chaos. Autism and unpredictability aren’t the best combo. But I do want to stretch, gently. Not to overwhelm myself, but to grow. To give myself chances to feel joy in new places and moments.
Adventure could be as simple as a train ride somewhere I’ve never been. Finding a country pub on a whim. Walking until I’m lost, then finding my way again. Sitting in a café in a town I don’t know, watching life go by with a notebook and a pastry.
I want to get to know the world better …. and give the world more chances to know me.
And I’ve already got some cracking celebrating 40 adventures lined up… so stay tuned. This goal is already off to a flying start!
3 – Stabilise and Grow Sherfox Labs
Sherfox Labs started as an idea …. a little spark in the middle of some casework, some kit, and a lot of creative chaos. Now? It’s real!! We’ve got labs…. We’ve got people…. We’ve got energy.
But the next step is about building something sustainable. Not just exciting bursts of brilliance, but a solid foundation we can stand on. Somewhere that supports the team, the research, the teaching, the outreach… and doesn’t rely on me constantly juggling 17 things with a paperclip and sheer willpower.
I want to grow Sherfox into the kind of space where weird ideas are always welcome, where students thrive, and where the team knows they’re backed. I want it to be a home for the kind of digital forensics work that doesn’t fit neatly into boxes, the kind that makes a difference.
Stabilise. Support. Then scale. We’ve built something brilliant. Now it’s time to give it roots.
4 – Master Work-Life Balance (For Real This Time)
I’m getting better at it. Really, I am.
However … I’ve spent a lot of years running on adrenaline, deadlines, and the occasional emergency biscuit. I’ve been brilliant at showing up for everyone and absolutely terrible at showing up for myself. It’s a classic move …. especially when you’re neurodiverse, driven, and constantly bouncing between “I’ve got this” and “I’m definitely about to fall over.”
…. So this goal is about kindness. To myself. To my time. To my brain.
I want a life where I don’t need a full meltdown to justify rest. Where joy isn’t scheduled but simply part of the week. Where I can play Just Dance or doodle frogs or sit in the garden and not feel guilty that I’m not “being productive.” Yes, work is important, Yes, I love what I do. But I want balance …. not because someone else will give it to me, but because I’m finally ready to choose it …. Also, I’d like to sleep more …. and ideally, on purpose.
5 – Get Shortlisted (or Win!) an Ig Nobel
This one’s been on my list for a while.
Because yes, I believe in serious science. But I also believe that the best science makes you smile and think. That curiosity should be joyful. That weird ideas can change the world …. or at least make it a lot more interesting.
I’ve already worked on projects involving doll’s houses, intimate adult wearables, gossiping kettles, and very dramatic digital evidence destruction. Honestly, I think I’m exactly the kind of delightfully oddball researcher the Ig Nobels were made for.
(Picture here is from a research project we can’t wait to share with you!)
Getting shortlisted would be brilliant. Winning? Even better. But really, it’s about the spirit of it … that sense that science doesn’t have to be stuffy to be smart. Also, imagine the acceptance speech …. a chance to show off my comedy skills! Seriously I’d be happy with a media article on my work that makes people smile and think, but if there’s one big thing 6 year old Sarah taught me, it’s that you have to aim for the stars!