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In2science mentor Alex Dellios with host teacher and In2science alumnus Anthony Gonzales at Epping Secondary College.

We caught up with In2science mentor alumnus, Anthony Gonzales, now a teacher at Epping Secondary College. Anthony recognises the value of having an In2science mentor in his classroom and is now hosting his second mentor, Alex Dellios, in his year 8 maths class. We asked Anthony to reflect on his time volunteering with In2science and how it helped him get to where he is today.

Anthony, what year/s did you volunteer for In2science and what were you studying at the time? I volunteered in 2004 to 2005. I was completing a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Science Education degree at La Trobe University at the time.

What inspired you to pursue teaching as a career, and what did you learn from your mentoring experience? I decided to pursue teaching simply because I love being around young people and that I always felt I was able to explain pretty hard maths topics using everyday language. There is also that ’emotional factor’ when it comes to maths for most students to which I could identify with and address. My mentoring experience confirmed that teaching was what I wanted to do. I also learnt that students are always welcome to having visitors in their classroom.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I completed about 3 placements for the In2science program. My first placement was at Eltham High School in a Year 7 Science class. One week I was given the opportunity to take a class and I decided to give a ‘Playground Physics’ lesson. We walked to the local playground and the students conducted experiments on the slides and the playground equipment. The students had an enjoyable time as it was a lesson that was different to what they were used to.

What was the best thing about mentoring? The best thing about mentoring was simply being in a classroom full of kids. Students are always great fun and it was a great stepping stone for me before I got into my teaching placements.

Anthony Gonzales, In2science alumnus and maths teacher at Epping Secondary College.

What was one of the biggest challenges about mentoring? It was the nerves of being in a new environment. However that quickly became a non-issue after a couple of sessions with the class.

What has been the biggest change in your approach to education since you were at uni? It has been ensuring that the class values a positive learning environment and that the best classroom environment is when a strong relationship between the teacher and the students has been established. Relationships are everything.

Why did you decide to host In2science mentors and what do you hope your students will gain from them? I decided to host In2science mentors simply so that I could give back to the program which helped me along the way to becoming a teacher. I hope my students can see that there are people out there who are simply giving of their time and wanting to engage with them both as people and as students.

What advice would you give other university students looking to get involved in In2science? I would say simply give it a go! It’s an experience not every uni student has the opportunity to have. It’s not every day that you are able to come into a classroom to experience what it’s like to be on the other side of the table.

Are you an In2science Alumni? We’d love to share your story! Get in touch via the In2science Alumni Network.

In2science mentor Alex Dellios is undertaking his third mentor placement.

What are you studying and what do you like about it? I am studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics and Mathematics at La Trobe University. I love learning something new about the how the universe works every day. It’s been like one big puzzle, the more I learn the more everything makes sense.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? When I was younger I was very disenfranchised with science. I found it boring and just didn’t enjoy it at all, until I had a teacher that sparked my passion for science. She taught me to look at the bigger picture at how everything in the universe was governed by the laws of physics and that these laws were written in mathematics. From that moment on I was hooked by science and I started to appreciate the little things like throwing a ball in the air. So I became an In2science mentor to try spark that same passion in these students and to try and show them the bigger picture, just like how I was shown in high school.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I am currently on my third placement. This time I am in a year 8 math class at Epping Secondary College. Anthony, the teacher I am working with, was once an In2science mentor and it’s been great to hear his experiences as a mentor and a teacher. It has also been my first experience with Maths Pathway which has been interesting, it’s great to see students being able to learn math at their own pace.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing about In2science is that it gives students the chance to get a different point of view about maths and science, to ask questions and have discussions about topics the teacher might not have time to go over or talk about. It’s been great hearing some of the awesome questions these students have.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? One of the biggest challenges is trying to make maths and science fun and engaging for all students, regardless of whether they love or hate it. It can also be challenging to help students understand a concept they might be really struggling with.

What message do you hope to pass onto the students in your In2science class? I hope to pass on some of my passion for maths and science so they may one day study science or at least understand the benefits of being scientifically literate.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I want to study Astrophysics and become an academic, so I can still do research but also teach.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? Brian Greene, I think he is one of the smartest people alive and I would love to talk to him about superstring theory, his experiences in science communication and how he makes science so engaging to students.

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in In2science? Sometimes you may think you aren’t making a difference to these students, but trust me you are. That moment you see a student ‘get it’ is one of the best feelings in the world – knowing you’ve helped this student understand something today that they might have struggled with for a while really is something else. Being an In2science mentor has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, I only wish I found out about the program earlier so I could have done it for longer.

Next month we meet Alex’s host teacher and In2science alumnus, Anthony Gonzales.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

In2science mentor Julie Kheng

What are you studying and what do you like about it? I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) at Swinburne University of Technology. I enjoy learning about the physiological aspects of the human body as well as learning how to use medical instruments that you would find in hospitals.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I became an In2science mentor because I was curious to see why there was a decline in students studying science after year 9 and hoped to try and get students to see that science can be amazing and fun! I want to encourage students to continue with their scientific endeavours and to allow them to see that science is everywhere, even in things you wouldn’t necessarily think it would be found.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I undertook placement in a year 8 science class at Brighton Secondary College in semester 1 2017. It was an interesting class ranging from students who were really interested and loved science to those who didn’t enjoy it at all. It was an amazing experience getting to know the students and having them interact with me and asking me questions that I never would have thought of asking when I was in year 8. In semester 2 2017 I’m mentoring a new group of year 8 students at the same school.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing about In2science was being surprised at the knowledge the students had of cells and the human body – some of the things that they knew I didn’t learn until further study in high school, so that was impressive. It was also great to get to know the individual students and their passions.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? One of the biggest challenges would probably have to be learning all the student’s names! It did get easier after spending a couple weeks with them in the classroom.

What inspired you to study what you are studying? I have always been interested in the human body, how everything worked and how I could use that knowledge to help others in the health sector.

What message do you hope to pass onto the students in your In2science class? Don’t give up on science and your passion. Although there will be times where you may question why you should continue, in the end it will all be worth it and that there is a wonder of knowledge to discover in science and STEM based subjects. It’s not all just old men with crazy hair!

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I’m hoping to further my study into pharmacy and from there study medicine.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? Professor Brian Cox!! He is my idol, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I find him so captivating and has a way in explaining something so complex into basic terms that people like me, who have no physics background, can understand.

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in In2science? I would highly recommend the program. It not only develops your science communication skills but also quite rewarding knowing that you have inspired students into continuing with science or sparked an interest in them. Who knows, one day some of the students may be a leading scientist!

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

What are you studying, and what do you like about it? I study Pure Mathematics at The University of Melbourne. Mathematics drew my attention in my first year of university as an area which emphasised creative approaches to problem solving and rigorous explanations for phenomena which I found lacking in other subjects I was studying. To me, mathematics is about “learning how to learn”, and I have seen the capabilities that I have developed in my degree prove useful time and time again outside of my studies.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I became an In2science mentor because I have seen too many students in early to mid-high school lose enthusiasm for mathematics. Whether it be due to students falling behind in class, a lack of engaging content, or mathematics not being ‘cool’, the presence of a young engaged mentor who advocates for STEM could make the difference for young students with scientific potential.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I mentor four students from Ararat College. We meet online for thirty minutes each week, where we talk about university life, my research experience, exciting scientific discoveries, how to get a part-time job and more. The students are engaged and always excited to learn something new.

What’s the best thing about In2science? In2science gives me a unique opportunity to share my passion for science. In my day-to-day life, I mostly associate with people who work or study in STEM. By engaging with students who come from rural Victoria and who have not yet chosen their career paths, I can share my enthusiasm with those who will benefit from it most.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? It’s just too hard to keep the sessions within thirty minutes – there’s always more to say, I don’t think we’ve finished on time even once!

What inspired you to study what you are studying? I was inspired by my mathematics lecturer in the first year of my Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. His approach to problem solving and learning was unique, dedicated and awe-inspiring, and led me to develop my own problem solving capabilities in similar ways.

What advice would you give to your fifteen year old self? Keep your options open, and take every opportunity. Join the school band, the cricket team, the debating club and the school play. When planning for Year 12 / university / your career, make the decision that allows you to make the decision later. Get involved. There’s always more time in the day!

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I hope to work in computational biology research, using my mathematical and computational skills to solve problems in biomedicine. I love the challenge and the rigour of the mathematics, the power of computer science, and the real-world application of solving medical problems, and research in this field allows me to combine all three!

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? I would like to speak with Évariste Galois – a young mathematician who died tragically at the age of 20, he contributed more to his field than most scientists would in a lifetime. It would be incredible to see into the brilliant mind of this young genius, whose ideas could have revolutionised the way we think about mathematics.

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in the In2science program? In2science is a rewarding and unique experience, and I strongly encourage any science enthusiast to get involved. eMentoring has been particularly rewarding – I have the opportunity to build strong relationships with a number of talented young people from rural Victoria, and I strongly believe that the In2science program will change the lives of many of the participating students.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!