On Friday 16 April, we were lucky enough to meet four amazing mentors through a connection made between Ms Caroline Rocco and Rita Coleman, President of the Oxford University Society (SA). The group provided us with a comprehensive outline of their study and career journeys which reinforced the importance of life-long learning and transferability of skills in the workplace.

Rita Coleman undertook a B.Sc. Forestry at Aberdeen University and worked with the Sabah Forestry Department as the first female officer. She won a British Council Scholarship to undertake her Master’s in forestry at Oxford University (Linacre College), where she met her future husband, Colin Coleman.

Dr Colin Coleman studied a BSc (Sydney) then PhD in Astrophysics (ANU). Colin then undertook research positions in England and Italy before returning to Australia. He held a lectureship position at Monash University for several years before joining the Defence Science and Technology Group, responsible for scientific research in support of Defence for Australia. These opportunities arose due to the research skills he acquired through Astrophysics, and he was offered the chance to work with the latest technology in weapons, radars, lasers, communication and satellites. Colin is currently a strategic consultant with Consilium Technology, a local Adelaide company that provides artificial intelligence solutions for the Defence, Agriculture and Mining industries. Colin met Andrew Pickles while studying at ANU.

Dr Andrew Pickles B.Sc, Mathematics, Physics (University of Birmingham), M. Sc, Astronomy (University of Sussex) and Ph.D, Astronomy (ANU). More recently, Andrew worked in Telescope & Scientific Operations in California, Chile, South Africa and Australia.

Dr Mary McLennan, B Early Childhood Education and Teaching (Deakin), Masters in Communicative Disabilities (The John Hopkins University) and Doctor of Education (Fielding Graduate University) is Andrew’s wife. Mary most recently worked as a Senior Consultant in “Inclusive Social and Emotional Learning” and has worked in a broad range of educational roles across the world.

Our afternoon discussion covered study and job opportunities, living internationally, and what life looks like as an astrophysicist. We enjoyed hearing from both an observational astrophysicist and a theoretical astrophysicist. We found that it gave us a level of perspective above that offered at school. It was also insightful to hear from Rita and Mary, as their contribution offered a different perspective on the work that astrophysicists do. We enjoyed hearing about their backgrounds and occupations in many countries. Listening to people who had the opportunity to travel for work was eye-opening and gave us hope for the distant future in which we would be able to do the same.

Maddy Harris and Nikita Page (Year 12)

Upcoming Events

The University of Adelaide - “Health HQ”

Sunday 23 May 2021
9.00am – 3.00pm
Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building, adjacent to the SAHMRI building on North Terrace.

Get hands-on with health at a free showcase of degrees available from The University of Adelaide - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

Visit the state-of-the-art Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building for Health HQ. Attend presentations from expert staff and current students, get hands-on with cutting-edge simulation technology and have all your questions answered.

Health HQ is also an exclusive opportunity to see current students in action in the Adelaide Health Simulation Centre – the most technologically advanced simulation facility in Australasia.

Free UCAT Workshop (Medicine and Dentistry)

Sunday 2 May 2021
Live online interactive workshop
UniSA CityWest Campus

If you are in Years 10, 11, 12, and considering sitting the UCAT in the future, then this program is for you. The Simulated UCAT Workshop program is ideal and often a necessary step towards effective and efficient preparation for the UCAT.

This event will be conducted by the National Institute of Education in partnership with UCAT Preparation Australia, MICAS (Medical Interviews and Career Advice Services), and PTTI (Pro Training Tutorial Institute).

The workshop is primarily designed to cover fundamental techniques in navigating all five sections of the UCAT test and for participants to gain a better understanding of their own level of preparedness for the test.

Click here to learn more.

Head-start interview preparation is also recommended for Year 11 and 12 students who have received or are expecting to receive an interview offer for the undergraduate Medical Schools in Australia.

The unique NIE workshop program aims for students to gain an in-depth understanding and required knowledge of the medical interview processes for specific universities, including Multi-station Mini Interview (MMI), Structured, and Semi-structured panel interviews.

These live online interactive workshops will be held Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September or Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 September.

Click here to learn more.