Pram Students @ Vic

One of the great things about being at Victoria University is catching up with past students of Paraparaumu College who are now doing Chemistry courses.  I have managed to track down seven of them.

Briana Hunt
Briana was a Year 13 Paraparaumu College student in 2013. She is currently in her first year of study towards a Biomedical Science degree, majoring in molecular pathology. Once she has finished her degree Briana intends to carry on further studies in the medical industry, pursue a career in sport medicine or complete her post-graduate degree. Briana is currently doing the First Year chemistry paper CHEM 113 Concepts of Chemistry. Students doing Biomedical Science need to take the First Year chemistry paper CHEM 114 Principles of Chemistry. CHEM 113, is a extra paper Briana wished to complete to gain further knowledge and skills to prepare her for CHEM 114. Briana is really enjoying Chemistry at Victoria, especially the practical experiments within the laboratories.

Georgina Bird
Georgina is another Biomedical Science student who is currently doing CHEM 113 in preparation for taking CHEM 114 in the second trimester. She was in Year 13 in 2005 and has since traveled and worked overseas. Georgina hopes that her qualification will eventually lead into a career in genetic counselling. She is enjoying being at Vic and getting back into study.


Lizzie Tafili, Rose McLellan & Bryony Ixer
Lizzie, Rose and Bryony are all currently taking CHEM 114 Principles of Chemistry and are in the same laboratory session (hence the combined photo).

Lizzie was in Year 13 last year and is now studying for a Bachelor of Biomedical Science majoring in medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology. As well as CHEM 114 she is taking a number of maths and biology papers, and next trimester intends taking CHEM 115 Structure and Spectroscopy. Lizzie is thoroughly enjoying CHEM 114. She likes the fact the paper contains some concepts learnt in physics and calculus as well as building on knowledge from NCEA Level Three chemistry. She describes it as a "really cool paper". Lizzie would like to one day do medical or chemistry related research so that she can "contribute and give back to the world".

Rose is another member of the class of 2013. She is now studying for a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry and biotechnology. Like Lizzie, Rose is currently taking CHEM 114 and I will take CHEM 115 next trimester.  She particularly enjoys the lab component of the course "because you get some fun practical experience that helps you understand all the new concepts you learn".  After graduating with her B.Sc. Rose would be interested in going into some form of research. She believes that her area of research will be determined by the components of chemistry that she is most compelled by in the later years of her degree. Teaching is also an option for Rose in the future because she "would love to have that interaction with people and share what I have learnt with them".  "Studying Chemistry at Victoria is really exciting and I know that it will only get better. The workload is hefty as with any university course but so far it has only inspired me to continue forward in Chemistry."

Bryony was in Year 13 at Paraparaumu College in 2012.  Last year she had a gap year and is now at Victoria University studying for a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry and economics.  At this stage Bryony is keeping her options open as to whether she eventually pursues a career in chemistry or economics (or maybe even manages to combine the two).  Bryony is currently doing the First Year Chemistry paper CHEM 114 Principles of Chemistry.  She is finding it challenging returning to study after having a gap year but is enjoying her time at Vic.

Lindsay Morris

Lindsay was in Year 13 in 2011 and is now in his final year of a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry and statistics. This year he is taking CHEM 301 - Organic Chemistry, CHEM 302 - Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, CHEM 303 - Physical and Process Chemistry and CHEM 305 - Organic Synthesis Laboratory. Next year Lindsay intends moving onto studying at the honors level with a particular focus on Organic Synthesis and Natural Products. If all goes well, his ultimate goal would be to either work on synthesizing molecules of particular biological interest, or discovering new compounds from marine sponges and alga.  "Studying Chemistry at Vic has been extremely challenging, however, it has been even more rewarding. I can't imagine what life would be like without having done Chemistry. I encourage students to take the challenge, and head to Vic to make the most of the best Science department and facilities New Zealand has to offer!"

Charlotte Page

Like Lindsay, Charlotte studied Chemistry at Paraparaumu College up until 2011. With an interest in Science, she has pursued a Bachelor of Biomedical Science specializing in molecular pathology and medicinal chemistry. She is currently in the third and last year of her degree, Charlotte has taken a variety of Chemistry courses, this year focusing on CHEM 301 - Organic Chemistry and CHEM 305 - Organic Synthesis Laboratory. She is considering options in postgraduate study, hopefully working towards a career in clinical pharmacology. "I have thoroughly enjoyed studying at Vic. I feel they offer a wide range of courses in Science, including Chemistry. Although challenging at times, there has always been assistance in a great community of scientists."

Briana, Georgina, Lizzie, Rose, Bryony, Lindsay and Charlotte are all having a great time studying Chemistry at Vic and would love to see more Paraparaumu College students join them in the future. If you would like to find out more information from any of them, send an email to me at mkb@pcol.school.nz and I will pass your message on to the relevant person.