Photo: Helen with two of her fellow Cadets

Helen Zhou is a role model, young female engineer and a passionate advocate for STEM. Fearless and focused, she is determined to make her dreams a reality, and inspire others to do the same. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering Science at Monash University, and undertaking her Cadetship placement at Bombardier.  Grasping onto opportunities, no matter how big or daunting they might have seemed, has ultimately led Helen to a pathway in STEM. This now defines much of who she is, her passions, and her hopes for the future. We’ll let Helen tell you the rest.

My passion for STEM is a universal constant. I wouldn’t be who I am without it. I went to a girls only high school where the culture was unknowingly prohibitive against STEM. Because of this, STEM remained an unexplored possibility until the summer holidays of year 10.

All of a sudden I was surrounded by hundreds of like-minded peers

My first brush with the world of STEM was The ConocoPhillips Science Experience (TCSE), a three-day program for students in years 8 to 10. All of a sudden, I was surrounded by hundreds of like-minded peers who shared my curiosity about the world around me, and the trajectory of my life was completely altered, knocked off course by a staggering amount of passion and support from my fellow scientist fledglings.

For the first time the rest of the world felt truly tangible

About half a year later I successfully applied for Youth ANZAAS. It was a science program with about a hundred students from all over Australia and New Zealand participating in a week-long residential program. It included a tour of RMIT’s collection of 3D-printers, a trip to a planetarium, seeing a Nobel medal, and even included an explosive concert by Ologism, a science-themed rock band. It was also during this program that the students from New Zealand opened the world to up to me, and for the first time the rest of world felt truly tangible.

Diving head first into the world of STEM

I had been a member of YSA (Youth Scientists of Australia) for a while, however I had mostly lurked on the fringes. But after the Youth ANZAAS and the bonding of the residential program, I found myself on the executive committee as a ‘Member Without Official Portfolio’. I dove head-first, and YSA became the supportive backbone that sustained my passion for STEM and helped focus that passion into something productive – STEM outreach. I began to be involved in engaging with the community through volunteering, which soon became another passion of mine.

From Canberra to Europe

After an almost year-long application throughout Year 11, (which required the support of a rotary club, a written application and a two-stage interview), I was given the opportunity to attend the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in Canberra. It was an Earth Science based program, and we toured the Earth Science departments, visited Geoscience Australia also engaged in networking events at Parliament House with participants such as a Nobel Laureate and Chief Scientist.

After the program, participants were given the opportunity to apply for international programs. I was one of five hundred students from over fifty countries who were accepted into the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF), and we spent three weeks abroad during term 3 of Year 12, residing with the Natural History Museum and Science Museum just down the road. Following the amazing program in London, we embarked on a trip through Paris and Switzerland, which culminated in a visit to CERN and the Large Hadron Collider.

Opportunities are everywhere

Now that I am in university, the small flame of scientific interest that sparked to life in Year 10 has now crystallised into a steady burn of passion that makes up the very core of my identity. When I am not tinkering with electronics or code, I enjoy astrophotography and observing the night sky with my telescope. Alongside my studies in Aerospace Engineering and Science at Monash University, I am now involved with Engineers Without Borders.

“The most important thing that I will take away from my experiences is that opportunities are everywhere – and not just for STEM! You just need to find them. Finding a passion is incredibly empowering, especially so for my fellow women in STEM.”

Maybe one day I will be working as a researcher, or designing rockets, or maybe I will be in a classroom trying to inspire children to become the next Einstein or Marie Curie.

Wherever I may end up, I know it will be in STEM.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lisa Kha is one of our 2nd year Cadets. She’s studying Commerce at the University of Sydney and completing her placement at QBE Insurance. She recently undertook a study placement to the Northern Territory, working with the local Indigenous community to create a sustainable governance model for a town facing some challenges. Over to Lisa to hear more about her experiences and learnings from the trip.

At the end of March, a team of interdisciplinary students headed off to a small town in the Northern Territory called Jabiru – a town built on Aboriginal land – a town built for the purposes of mining. The mine has created tension in between Indigenous communities for decades now. However, its shutting down means the royalties to Mirarr, the owner’s of which the land was built, disappear accordingly.

The University of Sydney are running a five-year initiative to assist the community. As part of this initiative, our role was to understand the needs of the Bininj (a term the Aboriginal people call themselves) and in a joint effort with the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, to help create a sustainable governance model that encourages collaboration amongst the communities in a bid to improve quality of life.

Photo: Husband and wife Mark and May – traditional owners of the land who took the time to take us around to see rock paintings on day then their community the next

Over the nine days, we learnt a tremendous amount about their deeply rooted customs, ways of life and their history. We realised how little we knew about their circumstances coming into this – both their struggles and achievements. It was very overwhelming. It was a much needed eye-opener.

We started to see where our skills could work to help a community create a sustainable way of life. We were part of something greater than just marks.

For someone who loved excursions and history in high school, this unit combined just that with my business side of things. Unlike normal classrooms lectures and tutorials, this experience allowed for firsthand interaction with the communities and people. When ‘on-country,’ we were able to go explore what Kakadu had to offer, its amazing past with traditional owners of the land and by exploring the land in which they owned.

Photo: Going to see rock paintings

Highlights at Kakadu for me were definitely the interactions we had with the community – whether that’d be playing ultimate frisbee or soccer with the kids and dancing along at their school dance or being taken on tour by the traditional owners. There was no doubt about it. I fell in love with the community and didn’t want to leave by the end of it.

Taking this chance to work closely with Indigenous communities was something I never thought I’d have the chance to do but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

It was my first experience working with an interdisciplinary team and it just goes to show how much you can learn off one another. I cannot wait to see how this project will be transformed from its current stage by the end of the final phase and the changes it’ll have on the community.

Photo: Obligatory crocodile sighting in Kakadu National Park.