Trip unveils career opportunities

Tenison Woods students looking to STEM-related careers after eye-opening conference

STEM-related careers have been in focus for two Tenison Woods College students with a trip to a conference in Adelaide further opening their eyes to the possibilities that exist and strengthening their resolve to stay on track for a career in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Year 10 students Sophie Wight and Trixie Crouch (pictured) have been part of the STEM girls academy and both their sights firmly set on a STEM-related career so attending the STEM Girls Conference in Adelaide was a no-brainer.

It started with a three day workshop at UniSA Mount Gambier campus, where the focus was creating a sustainable mine for the future partnering with OZ Minerals, and has wound up this year with the Adelaide experience.

“I straight away jumped at the opportunity to learn more about women working in STEM and also it helped me get out of my comfort zone when I learnt different conferences and collaborations were involved,” Trixie said. “Before the Adelaide conference, there were different workshops that you could join which had a lot of variety and helped me a lot since I find it hard to stick to something when it doesn’t interest me.”

Sophie also was looking to widen her horizons when embarking on the STEM Girls Academy.

“It made me get out of my comfort zone as well as expand my knowledge in many different career paths that most women don’t know about,” Sophie said. Having worked together at the UniSA workshops on designing machines to raise money for the Adelaide Museum as well as to design a robot to pick up rocks as part of the OZ Minerals partnership, heading to the Adelaide Conference was the logical next step.

The first day was held at the OZ Minerals head office in Adelaide and focussed on studentgs, teachers and staff networking, while the evening’s speed dating event proved popular.

“It involved all students creating a circle around the circle of mentors – mentors were other women who have a role in the STEM industry – and getting a minute with each mentor to learn about their job and get their opinions on women working in the STEM industry,” Trixie said. “This was really eye-opening as you don’t realise how much opportunity is out there for careers in this particular field. The night was followed with quizzes and presentations and there was always plenty of opportunity to ask questions or get involved.”

Trixie was also mesmerised by the tour of OZ Minerals and the behind-the-scenes look at the mining industry.

“It was amazing to learn just how many jobs are created from mining and it has really has helped me consider taking up a job in this field in future,” Trixie said.

The next day’s tour of UniSA Mawson Lakes campus also captured the imagination of both girls, including hearing firsthand from OZ Mineral mine workers.

“They explained how this effects their families, how much they make and if they enjoy what they do or not,” Sophie said. “We also had a tour of a nearby company called Codan Limited, that had created a metal detector for use in countries with land mines. We saw how and why they were made as being allowed to enter the lab where each part was being created. This was my favourite part as it was very cool to see how static electricity can mess up a whole circuit board as well as seeing how well each department works with one another.”

For both girls, the Adelaide trip cemented what has been a long held interest in STEM concepts and industries.

“Growing up, I have always grabbed at any opportunity to get involved in any STEM program available to me,” Trixie said. “I feel like STEM has so much to offer and is so broad which really intrigues me. I have always loved maths and problem solving which has helped me have this great interest in STEM, but when learning about the lack of women in the industry really drives me to attend things like the STEM Girls Academy because even if I don’t follow through with a STEM career, the input we have now as young girls coming through can help make a change and can help get more girls involved with STEM. I definitely can see myself moving into a STEM career and hope that maybe one day I can reflect with students who are thinking of following the same path as me.”

For Sophie, it was the inspiration of her older sister Tess, who also pursued a STEM path, that saw her start to focus on the science, technology, engineering and maths areas of her schooling.

“After completing the first exhibition in Mount Gambier and really enjoying it, I decided I did want to go to the Adelaide – one as I would get more opportunities with bigger businesses to allow me to discover more jobs opportunities that don’t exist in Mount Gambier,” she said. “I do see myself more in the medical field when I’m older but seeing that opportunities in medical science does intrigue me as you can make a big difference to many people’s lives when a breakthrough is discovered.”