From left to right, Julia Lawlor, Bennet Lee, Dalton Ronan, Riley Antler, and Erin St Jean have shared their love of science this year as they've supported Science Summer Camps as senior camp leaders. Photo credit: John Ulan
Science Summer Camp instructors are passionate and enthusiastic about sharing their love of science with our camps of future scientists. Meet this year's Senior Camp Leaders-whose support behind the scenes helped make our camps possible!
Julia Lawlor
Program: BSc, specialization in physiology
Interests: Dancing, especially ballet and lyrical
What do you love most about science?
What I love most about science are the endless possibilities. So many questions remain unanswered and it is open to all of us to solve them. I also love piecing together all of the existing knowledge about a topic to learn how something works.
Why do you think it is important to promote science to young people, and what makes you a good science mentor?
I think it is very important to promote science to young people because they are the future. By fostering a curious mindset in young people we can enable them to find their unique interests, and maybe even to make important strides in that field. I believe my enthusiasm for science makes me a good science mentor.
Why did you want to work with Science Summer Camps?
I'm excited about working with Science Summer Camps because they offer incredible opportunities for children of all ages to get excited about science and explore new topics. They also foster friendships between young people with similar interests.
Can you tell us a fun fact about your favourite scientist or scientific discovery?
In 1985, Dr. Barry Marshall deliberately ingested the bacterium H. pylori to prove that it caused stomach ulcers. His experiment worked and he developed the illness. Prior to this, it was believed that stress and spicy foods caused stomach ulcers. Marshall and his research partner, Dr. Robin Warren won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2005 for this discovery.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I have spent two summers doing research in an ophthalmology lab here at the UofA. We studied the effects of uncontrolled diabetes and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Bennett Lee
Program: BEd
Interests: Hockey, hiking, learning about education
What do you love most about science?
I like that science gives people endless opportunities to discover and research new concepts while exploring the world around us.
Why do you think it is important to promote science to young people, and what makes you a good science mentor?
Promoting science to young people is important because it encourages kids to foster learning and intrigue for the everyday world around them, and to continue asking questions and finding answers to those questions. I'm a very curious person and I love to figure out the "why" of puzzling ideas, so I'm looking forward to bringing this same curiosity and enthusiasm to every camper this year.
Why did you want to work with Science Summer Camps?
I wanted to work with Science Summer Camps because I am very passionate about education and working with kids, and being able to do that in an environment with cool experiments and awesome activities will be a big highlight of my summer!
Can you tell us a fun fact about your favourite scientist or scientific discovery?
The idea for Velcro was invented by accident-George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, was hiking with his dog when he noticed burrs from plants getting stuck on his dog. He later used this idea to create hook-and-loop fasteners known today as Velcro, which have been used on kid's sneakers and NASA astronaut suits.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I can hum and whistle at the same time, and I've been skydiving before.
Dalton Ronan
Program: BSc
Interests: Playing guitar, collecting records, camping, hiking, fishing, cooking
What do you love most about science?
I love that science encourages curiosity and questions how things work. I love that it's okay to be wrong about something, as that just means there is more to learn, and that for every question answered, many more questions may be uncovered.
As a returning instructor to Science Summer Camps, what did you find fulfilling about the position in previous years/what made you want to return?
I believe it's very important to encourage scientific literacy and curiosity in everybody. Being involved in Science Camps not only lets me promote this, but I get to have a great time while doing it. This is why I keep wanting to come back.
What is your favourite memory from instructing camps in previous years?
One of my favourite memories was a water bottle rocket launch. A camper constructed a rocket that launched way higher than we had ever seen. Leaders and campers were both cheering and amazed at the spectacle.
What was one of your favourite camp projects/activities to share with campers?
One of my personal favourite subjects is black holes, so getting to do demos and presentations about these objects is always one of my favourites. I also love doing the egg drop challenge. Each group always engineers a unique device to land their eggs, and I'm always amazed at the creativity, imagination, and teamwork demonstrated by the campers.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I do a crossword puzzle every day (but I can't always solve them).
Riley Antler
Program: BEd
Interests: Computing science, dance, painting
What do you love most about science?
I love science because there are endless possibilities. In computing science, especially, as the only limitation is your imagination. You can create anything you want if you put your mind to it.
As a returning instructor to Science Summer Camps, what did you find fulfilling about the position in previous years/what made you want to return?
Over the past three years I have loved seeing students get excited and passionate about science. Whether it was in the computing science camps I've taught or the other streams of science it was so rewarding to see students so engaged. Seeing them grasp new concepts or learn about new things they never thought were possible is so fulfilling.
What is your favourite memory from instructing camps in previous years?
My favorite memory from camps would still be from three years ago when my Designing with Computer girls and I had a spy themed week. We pretended to be hackers and on a mission all week which was so much fun.
What was one of your favourite camp projects/activities to share with campers?
One of my favorite activities to do with the students is creating their first program in Scratch. It allows them to create a game or other project that is completely theirs and start learning the basics of computing science which opens doors for many more advanced programs and opportunities.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I have flown a small plane. Only for 10 minutes-but that still counts I think!
Erin St Jean
Program: BSc, specialization in paleontology
Interests: Music, hiking, spending time with my cats
What do you love most about science?
I love that science can help us gain a new appreciation for the world around us by helping us to understand how and why things are the way they are. I also really like the opportunities that science can give us to try new things and meet new people.
As a returning instructor to Science Summer Camps, what did you find fulfilling about the position in previous years/what made you want to return?
I really enjoy teaching people science, especially if it can be done in a fun and engaging way. Science Summer Camps gives me the opportunity to share my love of science and learning with kids using fun activities and tours.
What is your favourite memory from instructing camps in previous years?
My favourite memory is seeing the interesting and creative stories that campers would come up with when making dinosaur trackways.
What was one of your favourite camp projects/activities to share with campers?
I enjoyed going on tours with the campers because it gave them an opportunity to look at cool specimens and see some of the resources that the university has to offer.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I went to my first paleontology conferences this year, and I gave presentations at both of them.