Question: What made you want to take science as a future

Melanie S. answered on 24 Nov 2020:

Hi! I’m a scientist today all because of my secondary school science teacher!

I was in her class when I was about 13 years old, and I hadn’t met any scientists, or even completely understood what a scientist was. But I enjoyed her class (chemistry) very much, and she noticed my interest and enthusiasm, even though I wasn’t the top student in the class.

She took the time and effort to have scientific discussions and answer my (many) questions after class almost every day, and she found as many opportunities as she could to get me more involved in science and learn more about the world of science as a potential career (things like I’m a Scientist weren’t available back then!).

She was a chemistry teacher, and I was interested in chemistry, so she gave me a book called Uncle Tungsten, by Dr. Oliver Sacks. He was a neurologist (a medic who specialises in treating problems with the brain and nervous system in general), but as a boy, he was very interested in chemistry, and this book was about his younger years and the people who influenced him during that time. It was because of this book that I started becoming interested in studying the brain, and now I am studying both neuroscience and chemistry, all because of my wonderful teacher, and Dr. Sacks and his writing!