Since I was a child I have always found great joy in being immersed in natural places. Some of the most vivid and special memories of my childhood were seeing insects move across the plants in my garden or in nearby forests, as well as snorkelling through the alien worlds of nearby bays and encountering creatures I couldn’t have imagined beforehand. What began as amazement became intrigue and eventually turned into inquiry. I wanted to know how, what and why things happen the way they do.

I study life sciences, including zoology, plant science, aquatic biology, microbiology and environmental science. I also do some social sciences. I chose to go to university to learn more and give myself the skills necessary to become a scientist who increases our understanding of wilderness areas. I hope to be able to make a contribution to the large and important base of knowledge in ecology.

I feel like I have been, and continue to be, influenced by many people; however the foremost influence in my life would be my family. Each person in my family has great, unique characteristics and each challenged me to explore, experiment and appreciate the world around me. Along my journey I’ve also come across particular people who have astounded me and inspired me to persevere with my aspirations.

There are so many things I’d like to do and places I’d like to go, and science really is limitless. I hope to find my niche somewhere in uncovering important ecosystem characteristics. I might do this in a broad field such as paleontology or ecology, or I might become particularly passionate about one group of organisms and devote my research to them! At this stage everything is too appealing to choose!

I love science for a few major reasons. Firstly, I find great joy in critically thinking about the complexities of the world around us and understanding how it works. I also love that science can provide an understanding to society as a whole, to enable us all to progress. It is such a great concept because it has no end and is open to everybody, it is like the eternal reasoning mind of humanity.

For more information: www.utas.edu.au/science-engineering-technology