Profile
Lizzy Miller
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About Me:
Hi, I’m Lizzy 🌊 I’m neurodiverse, based in Cambridgeshire, and live with my husband and our mischievous dog, Wilma. I enjoy being outdoors 🏕️ and trying new things, and Geography has always been the subject that kept me curious.
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When I was in school, I often felt unsure of myself. I did not know I was dyslexic until my A levels, and I found out I am AuADHD much later. Before that, I often felt confused about why I struggled with some things, and I sometimes felt stupid because I could not explain what was going on in my own mind. Finding out the truth felt like a weight lifting, because I realised there was nothing wrong with me at all.
I felt very average at school and I did not have a plan for my future. Geography was the subject that kept me curious. It helped me understand the world in a way that suited my mind and showed me that there are many different paths you can take. You do not need to know your final destination right away.
I have slowly learned more about myself, I enjoyed being outdoors, running, walking and playing badminton. I like comedies, and I try new things just to see what fits. Last month I helped friends renovate their yurt business and last year my and my husband walked the full length of Hadrians Wall. These moments helped me build confidence and find out who I was.
Now I am thirty one, a senior advisor in the Environment Agency, and the co chair of a network that supports neurodiverse people across eleven organisations in DEFRA. I never thought little Lizzy would get here, but I followed what I valued, which is helping people feel seen heard and valued. My Geography degree opened the doors I needed and helped me understand myself.
If you are reading this and you feel unsure or lost, please remember that your story is only just starting. You do not need to get everything right at once. You will discover who you are by trying things and giving yourself time. Your place in the world is out there, and you will find it in your own way. I hope my profile helps you in some way, even if it is just a little bit of reassurance ❤️
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My pronouns are:
My pronouns are she and her, but I am also happy for people to use they and them if they prefer.
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How I use Geography in my work:
I use my BA Geography degree every day in my work as a change manager. Geography teaches you to look at people, places and systems together, and this helps me understand how change will affect different groups in the Environment Agency. In school or university you learn to study case studies, compare different approaches and understand how people respond to change. I use these same skills to work out who will be impacted, how they might feel and what support they will need.
My Human Geography background helps me understand behaviour, communities, place and decision making. The Physical Geography modules from my degree help me understand environmental risk and how people live with it. These skills were important in my work in flood resilience, where I used tools like GIS on a regular basis to answer questions from the public. Some of the questions were not very exciting, but the mapping software made it fun and helped me see who might be affected by flooding.
They were also important in incident management, where empathy and understanding risk is vital. Geography helped me think about how emergencies impact people, how communities respond and how the Environment Agency can support them. Now that I work in change management, all of these skills come together. I need the people skills, the place based thinking and the understanding of risk to support staff and plan change in a way that works for everyone.
My Geography degree also supports my work as the co chair of the Neurodiversity Network across eleven organisations in DEFRA. Human Geography is all about understanding communities, lived experiences and how different groups interact. I use those skills to make sure neurodiverse people feel seen, heard and valued, and to help create a community where everyone is supported.
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My Work:
I help the Environment Agency manage change and support people through it, including work linked to incident response. I also co chair a Neurodiversity Network that supports staff across DEFRA.
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In my job I help people in the Environment Agency understand why change is happening and what they need to do next. I support staff so that new processes and ways of working feel clear, simple and manageable for everyone. At the moment I am supporting a project to create a new National Operations Centre, called the NOC. This centre will bring very senior incident response staff together so they can coordinate the Environment Agency’s national response to major incidents like flooding and waste fires. My role is to help the changes needed for this project land in an accessible way, to make sure staff feel supported as things develop, and to help the new people entering these roles become confident and effective.
My work also includes a lot of acronyms. The NOC has roles like NOM, NIRO, ISO, LOGO, NBC, NTA and NDM, each one describing a different job in incident response. When I worked in the NHS there were also loads of acronyms, so from my experience the adult world cannot get enough of them. It is definitely something to get used to in working life.
Alongside my main job, I also have a voluntary role as the co chair of the Neurodiversity Network across eleven organisations in DEFRA. In this role I create events, coordinate resources, coach and support staff, mentor people and advocate for neurodiversity across the business. My aim is to build a community where neurodiverse people feel seen, heard and valued.
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My Typical Day:
My day starts with Wilma dragging me out for a walk before I even open my laptop. After that I spend most of my time chatting to people, fixing problems and bringing a bit of humour into busy meetings. I finish the day having had a great day talking I love talking and I never stop 😅
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I start my morning with breakfast and a walk with my dog Wilma. Sometimes we play herding games or practise not chasing cars. When I log on, I check my emails, clear my inbox and reply to Teams messages. I do my admin tasks, like time recording, then have a quick chat with my work bestie so we can plan our day and help each other stay sane at work.
Most days I join important calls where I talk to people, build relationships and help them understand the changes happening in the Environment Agency. I give advice on how ideas can land in the best way and I work with colleagues in communications and project teams to design clear and simple messages. I also respond to questions from the Neurodiversity Network and have regular meetings to keep our support work moving.
Every Friday I set aside time for my development, and at the moment I am learning about benefits management. I fit this in between calls and my day job. I always make time for a lunch break, and on some days I work flexibly so I can go to aqua fit or the gym.
I always log off on time so I have a good boundary between work and home. In the evening I have dinner, go for a walk with Wilma and go for a run. I like winding down with TV, and at the moment I am watching I am a Celeb, and recently caught up on Squid Game and Married at First Sight. Sometimes I travel for work, but most days I work from home.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
If I won the prize money, I would create a workshop or resource for young people that helps them understand that it is okay not to have everything figured out. I would use Geography and real world examples to show how people grow, change and find their path over time. I would also include sessions about neurodiversity, learning styles and building confidence, so students know they are not alone and that there is space for everyone in STEM and Geography.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Loyal determined committed
What did you want to be after you left school?
Successful
Were you ever in trouble at school?
yes for chewing gum in class ....
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
a swimming instructor for adults
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Keane and RØRY
What's your favourite food?
peas and pasta
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
stay healthy, win the lottery, dream bigger
Tell us a joke.
I will save you from this as I'm terrible at it! but I love laughing at everyone else's Dad jokes!
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