Over the course of this year, students Riyaa Jayaramanrani, Sandy Amanoel, Sandra Naoum and Meera Asmaro have taken part in the Bionics Institute Girls in STEM Mentoring Program. Each of the girls received a mentor from the field in which they’re interested to work in after their school life. 

Over the duration of the program each has met with their mentor over zoom multiple times and picked a research question that they researched with the guidance of their mentor, this also taught them valuable research skills which can be applied at university as well as taken into the field they wish to work. The girls got to go and complete a site visit day at the location where their mentor worked and got to experience a day of work and what their field has to offer. The mentoring program was then concluded with a graduation event in the docklands where each student that participated received a certificate of completion. 

Riyaa had two mentors from Trajan Scientific and Medical and chose to focus on the topic of ‘Lipid Biomarkers for Health’. Sandra’s mentor was a Forensic Psychologist from the University of Swinburne and focused on the topic of ‘Early trauma and how it impacts people to commit crimes’. Sandra and Meera had their mentor working and research long covid at La Trobe University, Sandy and Meera focused on the research topic of ‘How does menopause affect a woman’s cardiovascular and immune system as she ages?’. 

Meera and Riyaa reflected:

“It was a great learning opportunity that proved to be a great use of my time. I learnt many valuable things that will no doubt assist me in future decision making. All in all, would definitely recommend giving it a chance!” - Meera

“Through the VESKI Girls in STEM program, I was able to investigate essential and non-essential fatty acids. Working alongside my supportive mentors and seeing their passion for science through their work at Trajan Scientific and Medical, from taking blood samples to the chromatography process, gave me a fascinating insight into real-world applications. Overall, I gained a new perspective on the diverse career paths in STEM and feel inspired to continue pursuing a career in science." - Riyaa

Olivia Rossell
Learning Leader - STEM & Accelerated Learning