Careers in Science Workshop
PART 1
A. E. Leslie
OUR HEAD OF SCIENCE, VICTORIA HUNTER, EXTENDED AN OPEN INVITATION THROUGH THE OLD BOYS UNION FOR PAST STUDENTS TO TALK TO OUR YEAR 10 STUDENTS ABOUT HOW SCIENCE HAS SHAPED THEIR CAREERS. Seven Old Boys spoke to our Year 10 students over two events, at the Inaugural Careers In Science.
The first event on April 27, featured three Old Boys:
Philip Pearce who graduated from Shore in 1975 having started in the Prep School. Phil joined the NSW Police Force in 1984 and went on to be a Crime Scene Investigator until his retirement in 2016.
Tim Allen (2008) is now an Associate (Structural) at TTW Engineers with a focus on timber engineering. He is heavily involved in the New Atlassian Headquarters Building which is set to become the world’s tallest hybrid timber structure.
James Robson (2012) studied Medical Science at ANU and Medicine at Notre Dame, He is currently a junior doctor in a number of hospitals and is working towards becoming an emergency medicine specialist.
We asked Year 10 student, Angus Leslie, to share his experiences of this event.
Starting off the presentations was a distinguished Shore Old Boy (1975), Phil Pearce, who had made a career with the Police as a CSI. It was surprising to hear his stories of picking apart notorious meth labs and bomb-making sights and hearing about his time working in the aftermath of the Bali bombings. For someone who deals with near-death situations on a regular basis, he was unbelievably casual whilst telling his stories. What was most surprising was to hear how he used scientists to help his crime scene investigations. When approaching a scene, such as a bomb-making lab, he would consult a scientist to learn what he could and couldn’t move. For example, during his sweeping of a lab that made explosives, he learnt that if he just barely touched a surface with a highly reactive compound it would instantly explode. I found it interesting that he explained that the police rely on scientists to ensure safety and efficiency. For boys interested in forensic science, I am sure they were keen to hear a professional share their journey.
The second presentation was from Tim Allen, also a Shore Oldboy, who specialises in timber civil engineering. It was interesting to hear about how timber was being used in some of the world’s most innovative structures. It was captivating to hear how simple structures are made as the result of intricate and complicated designs. Another keynote was the big project Tim is involved in which is being built from sustainable timber above Central Station. To any boys interested in pursuing a career in civil engineering, I am sure they took away a lot of insight into the future ahead of them.
Another interesting presentation was from Dr James Robson who ventured into medicine out of school. As a career, medicine is often thought to be exclusive and amazingly competitive which discourages a lot of people. However, James shared his story about how he wasn’t the most gifted or academically talented student but through hard work achieved his goal. It was inspiring to many boys, including myself, to hear how someone who wasn’t always leading the pack managed to get to his position by putting his head down and beating talent with hard work. A common theme with every presentation was the importance of asking questions in science. As a key takeaway from the day, we all learnt that even if we weren’t to pursue a career in the sciences, it is something that is essential to life and a subject that will be with us throughout our lives.
Thank you to all of the Presenters who contributed to this interesting and inspiring event.
The second Careers In Science will feature in next week’s publication.
