Today, Saturday the 11th of February 2023, Bexhill College is recognising some of the Women and Girls in STEM on this international day of celebration. We spoke to some of our students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects to shine a spotlight on them, their passion, and their plans for their future.
Caitlyn is a first-year student taking Applied Science, Criminology, and Applied Law. Additionally, she is a pivotal member of the STEM Girls enrichment, which takes place weekly on Wednesdays. Noting some upcoming projects, Caitlyn mentioned: “We have a local school, St Richards Catholic College, visiting the college soon, and we are preparing for a class where we will explain what it is like to study STEM subjects at A Level and what they can do for our future”.
Not only is she planning to inspire younger students and brighten their future, but she also has a strong idea of what her future career path will be. “After I complete my studies at Bexhill College, I am planning on furthering my education at the University of Kent. I want to pursue Forensic Science as it seems very interesting, and I am very excited to discover more in this field of STEM.” We asked her what interests her about forensic science in particular, and Caitlyn responded: “I find everything about forensic science interesting. I love how crime can be solved using science and how all three sciences can be used, from DNA analysis to using chemical reactions, to analysing bullets and finding their trajectory. I think my interest in forensic science stems from both watching crime documentaries and my love of chemistry. Forensic science involves so many different aspects of science and chemistry is involved in almost all of them. Because of this and my love for chemistry, I think that this could be a very interesting field for me to go into.”
“I’ve always been interested in science and known that I wanted to form my career around it from a young age” Caitlyn mentioned. “I specifically enjoy chemistry and lab work as I like how chemical reactions take place and learning how different elements interact.”
“I don’t have a specific role model when it comes to science” Caitlyn noted. “However, I admire all women in STEM fields because it proves that women can do the same jobs as men and that we can do them just as well, if not better! I feel that STEM subjects are typically viewed as ‘men’s subjects’, and I really admire the fact that there are so many successful women in STEM that disprove that stereotype all the time.”
Giving some advice for younger budding scientists, Caitlyn said: “STEM subjects, especially at A Level, are really useful qualifications to have, and they can get you into a wide range of careers that you wouldn’t necessarily expect them to. If you enjoy science at GCSE, I highly recommend taking a STEM subject at College because you get to extend your knowledge even further on an area of science that you already know and love. Or you can try something new and different like Engineering, which applies a lot of knowledge learned from physics.”
If you would like to study science at Bexhill College, be sure to check out our website and prospectus for course information. Want a look at our science labs, or talk to our amazing teaching staff? Look out on our website for facility tours and Open Evenings to take part in these outstanding opportunities.
