SELECT ENTRY STEM SPOTLIGHT

Following the early success of our first cohort of Select Entry STEM students, we interviewed Tianyi Wang and Maddy Salomon-Best to learn about what drew them to apply for the program and their plans for the future.

Tianyi Wang

A wonderful builder with a keen eye for shapes and composition, Tianyi's passion for STEM began with a Lego set she received for her seventh birthday.

Her interest in the field grew further once she made the link between Visual Arts concepts and her curiosity for building and engineering.

"Through Visual Arts, we can better understand the composition or the structure of an object [...] and that expanded my curiosity into Engineering and Mathematics," she said.

Tianyi auditioned for a place in our Select Entry STEM Program last year as she prepared to join our School at the start of 2021. "I wanted to explore STEM further," she said, "I was quite nervous [while preparing my application] and I spent a lot of time on it, editing and revising."

Tianyi's building skills and aptitude for finding innovative solutions shone during her audition and cemented her place as one of the first students in the Program, something she is excited about as she only began learning Science in Year 4. "I didn't have any Science classes until [Year] 4 so Science is still a brand-new topic to me."

When talking about her dreams and what she wants to achieve, Tianyi said, "I want to change the world or make a difference in the world through Engineering and Science."

Tianyi's experience so far in the Program is putting her on track to make that dream a reality in the future as she and her peers immerse themselves with finding solutions to global issues such as pollution by building a spring powered car as an energy efficient solution.

Her advice for students who are thinking of being part of the Select Entry STEM Program in the future is to be confident with their ideas and ask for help when needed. "Don't be too nervous and always try your best. Always express your idea to the class or your group, don't hold them back. When you don't understand something, it's okay to ask [your] teacher."

Maddy Salomon-Best

Maddy's decision to apply for the Select Entry STEM Program was a long time coming. A keen student who enjoyed Maths, Science and Coding in her Primary Years, Maddy has been passionate about STEM for as long as she can remember and in 2020, was the recipient of the Year 7 STEM Award and Academic Excellence Award.

"My passion for Science and Maths drew me to the [Select Entry] Program," Maddy said. "When I heard about it, I thought it would be a Program I would be interested in, as it covers all the areas I enjoy."

Even while in remote learning last year, she found joy in completing experiments at home as part of our Years 5/6 Middle Years STEM Program. "I enjoyed conducting all my science assessments at home (especially growing mould on bread under my bed), as well as the coding assessment we had to complete," she said.

While there wasn't much Maddy could do to prepare for the audition with the task being an unseen practical, Maddy's ability to apply concepts she learnt earlier that term in Science to her audition, helped her secure a place in the Program.

"I guess we were all lucky that we had just completed a Rube Goldberg machine in our science classes just before the audition," she said. "This was extremely beneficial for the task that we were given on our audition day."

As Maddy navigates her way through the Program she often thinks of her grandfather, a retired engineer, who shares her passion for STEM. "My grandfather inspires me," she said. "He is now retired but he had an amazing career. He started off with an engineering degree and ended up being the managing director of Cadburys.

"Whilst in the position he helped open the first Cadbury in China. I believe he was also involved in the original design of the Curly Wurly chocolate bar."

Maddy is currently exploring her pathway options as she searches for a career that will be both challenging and rewarding. "I am hoping that the STEM Program will help me develop skills that will help prepare me for the years ahead and a career where I can make a difference, and feel like I'm contributing to society," she said.

Maddy's advice to students thinking of applying for the Select Entry STEM Program is to be passionate about STEM and eager to learn. "If you enjoy subjects like Science and Maths, like group work, and want to further your knowledge in areas that we cover in our Science classes, then think about applying for the Program."