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My role with Advanced Connections involves creating engaging content that guides students through university applications, mastering financial management, coping with stress, and navigating the transition from secondary school to university.

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I’m a law student at Cardiff University with a background in science from my sixth form studies. I'm passionate about mentoring, especially encouraging young girls to pursue higher education and sciences after GCSEs, something I've been dedicated to since Year 12.

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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I love the project's flexibility and the incredibly supportive team. Everyone is welcoming and approachable, making it a joy to collaborate on projects that make a real difference for students who might otherwise lack this kind of support.

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My job for Physics Mentoring is as Events and Communications Officer, which means I look after most of the media we use to talk to people about the project. So, I tell people what we’re doing and encourage them to get involved.

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I am a natural scientist, writer, linguist, musician, creative facilitator, and teacher. Which is to say that I’m interested in a lot of seemingly very different things that actually have a lot in common.

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I'm the academic lead of the Physics Mentoring Project. That means I drive the strategy, and oversee the project, but can't take credit for the day-to-day operations of the project.

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I'm an astronomer by background, but spend most of my time teaching University students, talking to the public and running sessions for school students about a whole range of topics.

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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I really enjoy hearing the stories of mentors, or mentees, having some epiphany about how they see the relevance of physics or teaching, or some other aspect of the project.

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I have been the Project Manager since November 2022 but have been with the project since September 2021. I started as a Project Officer overseeing the school involvement with the project and then stepped up to start managing the project in May 2022. In this role I essentially run all the behind the scenes stuff so the project (hopefully) runs smoothly.
I absolutely love the project and the ethos of the project. It's such a joy to love your job and feel like you are making a difference to the number of school pupils engaging positively with physics.

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I was born and raised in South Wales and did my undergraduate degree at Swansea University in Genetics. From there I stayed in Swansea and completed a Masters in Journalism because I wanted to do Science communication (there weren't many Sci Comm Masters back then!). After that I moved to Bristol and completed my PGCE and taught Science in the South West for about 15 years.
During the pandemic I had my son and decided to move back to South Wales to raise him and go back into Science Communication. I love it so much and so happy that I decided to move back to science communication :)

Some things I enjoy: Cooking, music (specifically learning the drums) and drawing (not that I've had the opportunity to do the last two since becoming a mum!)

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I've been the Project Officer for Physics Mentoring since December 2022, and I've loved every minute of it. I also mentored and interned for the project in 2019 when I was a student at Cardiff University! I work closely with our mentors, and I manage marketing and communications for the project.

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I was born and raised in South England, and moved to Wales in 2014 when I did my undergraduate in Physics with Astronomy at Cardiff University. I then went on to do a PGCE at Winchester University, and taught secondary science for a few years. I couldn't stay away from Wales for very long though! I returned in 2019 to study my MSc in Data Intensive Astrophysics, then continued on to intern for this project and the MFL project before working in central outreach for the university. As a neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, non-male in physics, increasing diversity in this field has always been a passion of mine, so when a job opened up in the Physics Mentoring project team I jumped straight in!

Some of my favourite things include: reading, yoga, Lord of the Rings, dogs, baking, and dyeing my hair a different colour every few months!

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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Definitely the way it helps people connect the science they learn in school with their actual world. Our mentors take physics from complicated-sounding, abstract information and ground it in real life in a way that opens up endless, exciting possibilities.

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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I love that we are helping to make a difference to young people in Wales by opening their eyes to how relevant physics is to their lives. We know that we are making a positive impact but even if just one person gains a better skill set, goes on to study physics or improves their confidence in physics then I'm happy.

I do also love that we are trying to get more women into physics. I remember my physics teacher telling us how she was the only woman in full lecture theatres. She was such an inspiration. However that was in the 60's and when I talk to current undergraduate and postgraduate non-male students not much has really changed! We need to make sure that this stereotype changes.

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I've been working as an intern creating learning content for upcoming A-level physics tutorials.

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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Having been both a student mentor and a member of the team, I've loved seeing the positive impact Physics Mentoring has had across Wales. Not only has there been statistically significant evidence to show how the project has benefited pupils and mentors, but you can see the increase in both pupils' and mentors' confidence, skills, and enthusiasm as mentoring progresses. Seeing that "light bulb" moment in pupils is one of my favourite memories of my time as a mentor!

As a neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, non-male in physics, increasing diversity in STEM has always been close to my heart - watching this project have a lasting impact on widening participation in physics has truly been magical!

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I'm a final year PhD student at Cardiff University in the field of semiconductor optics - or more broadly, physics.

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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What do you enjoy most about the project?

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For me, the best thing about the project has been the opportunity to see learning and education through a different lens than I am used to having done teaching and tutoring in the past.