Sheffield schoolgirl earns unique opportunity to study with top scientists

Tapton pupil Amelia, aged 15, from Crosspool, was selected from hundreds of applications to receive one of the highly sought-after places available at the ZEISS Summer School.

Amelia, who picked up three competition wins during the course, said: “I’ve always been very interested in science – chemistry, physics and biology – not only at school but also in my spare time as a hobby.

“I was thrilled to have received a place at the ZEISS summer school and my hope was that it would give me a great insight into what I would want to do as a future career.”

Saving the world, future sustainability and eco-friendly materials were hot topics on the unique summer school programme which offered students an exciting opportunity to develop valuable skills and gain new experiences, whilst increasing their knowledge of scientific subjects from leading academic experts.

Amelia said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience – creating lasting memories and making many new friends from all over the world.

“The opportunity to learn from top scientific experts and academics, as well as working alongside like-minded peers, has really increased my thirst to explore the sciences further. Having a career as a scientist is definitely one of my options for the future!”

Amelia and her fellow students spent a fully-packed week in London attending workshops, lectures and activities, which included learning how to build and operate microscopes and using artificial intelligence for imaging and analysis.

During the course, students were set a number of tasks such as ‘The Composite Challenge’ – during which Amelia analysed materials through a microscope and developed the winning composite.

The week finished with presentations to the academic team, with students were tasked with designing a poster to showcase the knowledge they had gained in the week. Amelia and her team were awarded second place for their entry, with a prize of a smartwatch each.

The cohort of students selected were aged between 14-15 and consisted of 12 children from local UK schools and 12 children of ZEISS employees from around the world.

During a one-day visit to the ZEISS UK head office in Cambourne students were given an exclusive opportunity to see the latest technology from ZEISS’ Consumer Optics, Medical Technology and Research Microscopy Solutions departments. It was here that Amelia earned herself a third award by winning the Scanning Electron Microscope competition.

Katharina Enssle, head of Employer Branding at ZEISS, said: “The aim of the ZEISS summer school was to give young people the opportunity to follow their passion for science while enjoying a unique experience at one of the world’s top academic institutes. As a company we are passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists and encouraging children from all backgrounds to follow their aspirations for a career in science.”