With STEM You Can…inspire student voices 

I have always had a love for science. From the times spent watching Stephen Hawking and David Attenborough documentaries during school holidays to explosive experiments in the classroom and now my journey to become a researcher.

When I reflect on my journey, my high school science teachers come to mind as they nurtured my love of science and research. I wanted to be like them and have a role in inspiring the next generation’s enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). 

Life’s journey is never smooth, and that also applies to education. I remember sitting on my bed in Year 10, choosing my senior year subjects and couldn’t choose between biology and physics. So, I flipped a coin and learnt that a decision left to chance can often make the choice transparent.

The coin landed on biology. But surprisingly, I wished it had landed on physics and chose it instead. As I approach my final semester at university, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work as a vacation student with CSIRO’s Generation STEM team. 

It was delightful to attend and support the Generation STEM’s STEM Community Partnerships Program end-of-year showcases. I was able to see the impact this program has on high school students and their local communities.  

Some of the STEM-based solutions presented by the students were ahead of the curve. The experience highlighted the importance of bringing real-world problems into the classroom igniting and fuelling that spark is essential for the future of STEM. 

These solutions were based on challenge scenarios created by the team at the beginning of the year. As part of my internship, I was able to develop two new scenarios relating to the 2023 National Science Week theme, Species Survival – More than Just Sustainability.

It was challenging to find and write about a topic that would engage both Stage 4 and 5 students. But it was fun to think outside-of-the-box and use CSIRO and university contacts to make further discussions possible.  

I value real-world experiences and believe it is important to students and young professionals. Therefore, it was a pleasure to help the team create a toolkit for businesses that answers the many questions about how best to host an intern.

I had the opportunity to reflect on my current experiences and apply my learnings from positive outcomes and mistakes. It was interesting to place myself in the industry’s shoes and form answers in a way that is easy to understand and put into practice.

I realised that an internship not only benefits the student, but also the business. It provides a safe learning environment for the intern and new, fresh insights for the company. 

My time at CSIRO has been very fulfilling. Observing the impact of Generation STEM within communities, councils, and industry was comforting, knowing that there are programs working to keep the passion for STEM alive.

It is easy to feel lost and disengaged for students within STEM. But this experience has further cemented my enthusiasm for STEM outreach and its importance in the future of our education and workforce.