Student showcase

Alicia Paulsen

Alicia Paulsen is a Year 13 student currently studying at Linwood College in Christchurch.  She takes six subjects: chemistry, physics, calculus, statistics, accounting and economics.  However it is in science, particularly physics, where she is planning her future career.  Alicia also participates in a range of extra curricular activities which range from being a student leader, participating in the school orchestra to playing sports such as table tennis and soccer.  Amongst this she is also the Managing Director for the schools Young Enterprise Team – Entreprise a small student-run business that operates for one year. 

Alicia’s science career began when she received a Carter Observatory scholarship in 2005.  This enabled her to study online an astronomy course while gaining NCEA credits.  The following year she attended the Aurora Astronomy School which was held at Canterbury University.  This was a fantastic opportunity to learn about different aspects of Astronomy and a chance to visit the Mount John Observatory in Tekapo.

Earlier this year Alicia attended the Rotary National Science and Technology Forum.  This was held in Auckland and ran for two weeks in January 2007.  This was a great opportunity to meet 150 other New Zealand students who were also interested in science. 

However this year’s highlight would have to be the selection to attend the International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP) in August 2007.  This involved travelling to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physicists in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.  This experience was amazing, meeting 47 students from around the world who were passionate about physics.  The academic program was a highlight with lectures ranging from quantum mechanics and general relativity to black holes and dark matter.  Alicia was very grateful to the Royal Society of New Zealand for the travel award which covered a significant proportion of her travel costs to and from Canada.

Alicia is planning to study physics and astronomy at Canterbury University next year.  In 2006 she was selected as a recipient for a First Foundation Scholarship with her partnering organisation Telecom, New Zealand.  This opportunity provides her with part-time work, a proportion of University fees covered by Telecom New Zealand and support from a mentor, over a three-year period while studying.

Alicia would like to thank the Ferrymead Rotary Club for their support in helping to fund her travel to the Auckland Forum.  She would especially like to acknowledge the Royal Society of New Zealand for their generous financial support in travelling to and from ISSYP in Waterloo.