Introducing Rebekah McCann, who participated in Curious Minds in 2018. Thank you Rebekah for sharing your update.

Are you currently studying? If yes, what are you studying? Yes. Physics and mathematics.

What have you been up to? Earlier this year I attended the AMSI Summer School in Canberra and learned a subject called Hyperbolic Knot Theory. Other than that, most of my time is spent on my studies, but my main hobby is reading.

How did your participation in Curious Minds impact future studies, careers and experiences?

It showed me that there is a vast diversity of careers available to scientists.

What were your highlights of being part of the Curious Minds program?

The biggest highlights of the Curious Minds program for me were getting to meet girls my age who were interested in STEM too, talking to scientists from a wide range of careers and experiences, and getting to live in a large metropolitan city for the first time, as I’d spent most of my life living in regional North Queensland.

Were there any challenges? Something I found challenging was getting the confidence to leave home before the camp, and then doing my presentation at the end. I also had a lot of social anxiety and barely spoke to anyone for the first few days of camp, but eventually, I found a small group of friends who I spent most of my time with while there, and we still keep in contact to this day.

Would you recommend Curious Minds? And why?

Yes. It was a big encouragement to me pursuing my interests in physics and maths.