Profiles

Khaleel Mohammed 

What are you studying, and why do you like it? I am currently studying Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, and find it very appealing as science had always been my favourite subject at school. I especially like the biological aspects in which I can study the structure, systems and functions of the different parts of the human body.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? The actual idea of visiting schools to assist and encourage students studying science is what drew me towards becoming a mentor. Although I aspire to be doctor, I always enjoy teaching and tutoring roles and In2science just opened that option for me.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I am mentoring at the school from which I graduated,  John Fawkner College. I really enjoy working with the students. It is a fairly small class and I like it that way, since I get to spend a lot of time with every student and it’s much easier to handle when asked to work in a group.

What is it like returning to your old school? I really enjoy meeting all my old teachers and talking about the changes that have occurred in life. It’s also a great feeling to be sitting inside the staff room and drinking coffee when back in the days I had to stay outside the door!

What message do you hope to pass onto the students in your In2science class? I want the students to know that they are all capable of pursuing a career in science and I see it in them.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The fact that it exists is the best thing. Another great thing for me is the time frame. Once a week for ten week really works for me.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? After I complete my bachelors, I intend to enter Medicine and continue further onto becoming a cardiac surgeon. It’s been my dream since I was 9 and now, I just can’t think of doing anything else with my life.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why?

John Craig Venter. He is working on creating synthetic cells after completing the human genome. I want to know whether it would have occurred to him that this would be possible while he was studying the human genome and while at college. I would also like to know his ethical viewpoints on synthetic life.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Zack Yarak 

 What are you studying? I am currently studying a double degree, Bachelor of Engineering (Civil & Infrastructure) (Honours) / Bachelor of Business (Management) at RMIT University.

Tell us about your In2science placement: My placement was an amazing experience. Aside from giving me experience in working with young students and inspiring them to work hard in maths and science and pursue a career in those fields, it was also great fun. I got to meet a lot of young kids, and that brought me back to when I was their age, so it was quite nostalgic in that sense. I got to return to my old high school as well. It was very nice, as I got to see some of my old teachers, and the kids connected with me even more once they knew I attended the same school as them.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I had an In2science mentor when I was in high school. I remember the impact it had on me and some of my decisions going into VCE and even university. I felt like this would be a good way to give back and help inspire young students the same way I was at that age. I am very passionate about engineering and wanted to encourage kids to gain an interest in maths and show them how it can be applied to exciting courses and careers. It was actually quite surprising to see how many students had an interest in engineering and how they can go about studying it in the future.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing about In2science for me would have to be the positive vibes that come from everyone in this program. Everybody is very passionate about science and encouraging others to be interested in it. There is always a great exchange of ideas and stories and I believe this positivity and passion will flow into the younger generation who we mentor and they will continue to spread the good vibes and love of science.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? Honestly, I felt that the whole In2science experience went smoothly and I didn’t run into too many challenges. It was a little bit difficult to motivate certain kids who were completely disinterested in maths, but with some time and dedication, those kids even seemed to come around on it.

What inspired you to study what you are studying? I think the biggest inspiration for me which led me to the course I am studying were certain teachers and mentors along my high school journey. I think the importance of mentors cannot be understated. My year 11 and 12 physics teacher was probably the biggest reason I am studying this course and have such a strong passion for physics and engineering.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I want to work as a project manager on infrastructure projects around the world and eventually specialise in rebuilding infrastructure in third world countries. I am very eager to get out into the real world and work on projects that will help move society forward and create a better standard of living for everybody.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? I would want to chat with Isaac Newton, he achieved so much in the fields of science and mathematics. He developed the three laws of motion which are integral to engineering as well as discovering calculus, one of the most important foundations for engineers that followed.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Lauren Grimes

What are you studying?  I am in my final year of the Science Double Degree Program at La Trobe University. Through this program I have been able to study two degrees; Bachelor of Biological Sciences and Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences, with majors in Agriculture, Zoology and Microbiology (and a minor in Psychology).

Tell us about your In2science placement:  This was my first In2science placement, and to make it even more exciting I was lucky enough to be part of the eMentoring pilot program. This meant that all of my In2science sessions were run over a chat program online! I worked with four year 8 science students from Cobram Secondary College. Given that it was just myself and the students, we had the freedom to talk about whatever came up and focus on any particular areas each individual student was interested in or needed help with; no two weeks were the same!

Why did you become an In2science eMentor?  I believe that, unfortunately, many people view mathematics and science as daunting or difficult fields of study, and therefore avoid them completely. For me, being an In2science eMentor was about breaking down these stereotypes and showing that science and maths can be interesting and fun. I specifically liked the eMentoring as the students I worked with had an extra set of obstacles to overcome as they live in rural locations.

What’s the best thing about eMentoring?  I would have to say the small groups (as opposed to being with an entire class), as it allowed me to get to know each student well and tailor the topics we covered to suit their interests. Although it was through a computer screen, it seemed much more personal and relevant for everyone involved.

What’s one of the biggest challenges of eMentoring?  One of the interesting things about eMentoring is that there is no teacher present; just the mentor and the students. Sometimes this made it hard to prepare in advance for our sessions, as I didn’t always know what topics were being covered in class. It meant I had to think on my feet and be flexible – luckily I was trained up and had ample resources from In2science to help with sessions.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics?  I love that science and mathematics always have a correct, concrete answer or concept. On top of this, with science in particular, there is always more to discover! I find it really inspiring knowing that there is so much we don’t know about the world we live in and that I could be the one to discover something new!

What do you want to do after you finish university and why?  My degree has allowed me to study many different areas of science, and this appears to be a blessing and a curse at the same time! Each year I seem to fall in love with a new discipline (this year it’s microbiology) and this means I am constantly looking at different careers and pathways. My end goal is to work in biosecurity and animal health though.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why?  I would have to say Sigmund Freud! He was, and still is, a huge influence in the field of psychology and made so many interesting contributions. Although many of the theories he proposed have since been discredited, I would love to meet him to observe his personality and gain an insight into his absurd way of thinking.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Jaydene Pearson 

What are you studying? I am currently in my final year of a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) at Swinburne University. I really enjoy engineering as it applies maths to the real world and is a field that is constantly changing and moving forward with innovating ideas.

Tell us about your In2science placement: This is my third placement with the In2science program and I’m enjoying it a lot. Currently I am placed at Rowville Secondary College working with a year 8 science class. The class is a part of the Maths and Science Academy they run at the school. They are an amazing group of students to work with, and many different personalities making each class exciting to walk into.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I saw the program as an opportunity to give back to the community, while encouraging students to consider STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers. As one of very few girls in mechanical engineering it’s an opportunity to show students that you don’t have to fit the stereotype to pursue a career you want. Later on in my career teaching is definitely an option so it also gave me a little bit of insight into the workings of a classroom.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing about In2Science is how it connects students to the possibilities offered in STEM careers and brings the real world to them. In high school it is often hard to connect what you’re learning to the world around you and bringing in university students to help do that is a brilliant idea.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? I found over my placements the biggest challenge was the dynamics of the classroom, sometimes students clashed and others struggled to keep quiet. But through talking with the teacher and training provided by In2science you start to build a repertoire of skills not only helpful for placement but that can be used in everyday life.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics? I have always loved maths and science growing up, and for me studying engineering was the natural progression. It combines all aspects of science and maths and applies it to real world problems. It inspires me knowing what engineers can do to help improve the lives of many around the world.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? Now the end of my degree is so close the true amount of career options that an engineering degree offers is making the decision a lot more difficult, but ultimately I would love a career that gives back to the community (possibly in the field of self-sustaining energy!).

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? I would love to have a sit down with Nikola Tesla; his innovation was far beyond his time and to be able to talk about all his theories and ideas would be an experience like no other.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Mitchell Griggs

What are you studying? I am in my final year of studying for my Bachelor of Biomedical Science at La Trobe University, I initially enrolled in a different course and have since transferred into this course.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I have previously been placed at Epping Secondary College, currently I am placed in a year 9 science class at Roxburgh College in Victoria. We are currently studying diseases and have just finished studying the periodic table. The class has a great range of students which presents some interesting challenges.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? Firstly, I firmly believe that science communication and scientific literacy is critical to a healthy society, encouraging students in their studies in science, and by extension learning overall, is a worthy practice. Secondly, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics underlie so much of our natural and man-made universe and has challenged and filled me with wonder throughout my life, the opportunity to share this enthusiasm is very rewarding.

What’s the best thing about In2science? In2science connects mentors with groups of students who have a demonstrated need, and effectively match mentors with their positions meaning that all involved can get the most out of the program. The increased social and educational equity is a great outcome, there are also plenty of other fun and rewarding interactions to be had for all involved.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? The program requires you to think on your feet, take initiative in the classroom and deal with challenging and perhaps confronting situations with students. Overall the range in abilities and levels of interest provides a context in which it is hard to measure the impact you are having, it is therefore important to stay adaptive and motivated; which can be a challenge.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics? As long as I can remember I have had a keen interest in these fields, after spending time working as a musician and in several other fields my search for challenge and meaning in my life and work led me to return to study, science was a natural choice for me as it is a never-ending source of challenges and affords many opportunities for me to draw meaning from my life and work.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I aspire to continue into post-graduate study; my primary ambition is to study medicine and eventually become a doctor. I also seek to continue my involvement in science communication and become more involved in public health and science engagement.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why? Charles Darwin due to his fascinating life story and scientific works, as well as his ground-breaking impact on the progress of science would make a very interesting conversation. I think he would be fascinated to hear about the progress in biology, genetics, and medicine his work influenced and enabled.

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!