Anahita Piri
Anahita loves to watch and play football and is really enjoying the World Cup at the moment. She is looking forward to attending the Asian Science Camp in Manado, Indonesia. She is not completely sure what she will study towards next year but engineering is high up on the list!
Hey, I’m Anahita Piri, a year 13 student at New Plymouth Girls High School. I was born in Iran but have since lived in Oman and Malaysia before coming to the Taranaki in 2013. Being in New Zealand has really furthered my passion for science thanks to all the opportunities it’s given me, and this year I have been given the incredible chance to attend the Asian Science Camp held in Manado, Indonesia together with four other New Zealand students who have been selected by Royal Society Te Apārangi
I am a fan of reading books, although I’m not ashamed to say that sometimes I cheat and watch the movie instead. My favourite hobby has to be football. Everything about football is amazing to me, both playing AND watching it, and I have to say this years World Cup has been the only time where I’ve willingly woke myself up at 2am to see grown men kick a ball around.
My other hobbies include most sports, and although there are some I cannot stand, I won’t risk the chance of offending someone (cough*netball*cough). I also like to call myself a musician because I used to play the piano and guitar, but then high school responsibilities kicked in and I decided to solely focus on football and schoolwork instead. Maybe it’s time to remove “musician” from my resume now!
I completed NCEA level 3 last year by finishing my english, chemistry, calculus and economics courses, and this year I’m taking accounting, statistics and physics alongside STAR University papers from the University of Canterbury in economics and calculus. From these subject selections of mine it is clear to see where my strengths lie (keeping in mind English was compulsory). My future has not been decided yet for me, it’s been a constant tug of war between engineering/science and economics/business, but this year I was reminded that a double degree is a possibility!
My desire to do engineering stems (haha) from my parents who are both process engineers but has been solidified by being part of the Taranaki Accelerator programme, which allowed Todd Energy to mentor me for two months. Engineering combines my passion for science with practicality and is a way I can actually help out the world without having to become the next Bill Gates or Elon Musk, but don’t worry I’m still aiming high in life. As long as I can pursue something I enjoy which adds to my understanding of the world as well as helping mankind, I’ll be happy!
I’d like to say a big thank you to the Royal Society Te Apārangi, because they’ve helped me so much with the Talented School Students Travel Award. I’m certain the Asian Science camp will be amazing, and I can’t wait to see what I can learn!"