Callan Loomes

My name is Callan and I am a year 13 at Auckland Grammar School. I am lucky enough to have recently been selected to represent New Zealand in the International Chemistry Olympiad held in Bratislava and Prague this year. It will involve two exams on content we have learned in our own time; one practical and one theory.

I am very excited to go overseas and compete against people from all over the world, all the while learning more about my favourite subject. 

At Auckland Grammar School, I take all three sciences. This may seem boring for some, however for me there is nothing more appealing than learning all about the ins and outs of the world we live and, and their applications in the real world. I'm very fortunate in that I have had parents, and extremely passionate teachers support me in my journey through school and subsequent passion in science.

I believe my main interest in science, and chemistry in particular, comes from my desire to discover or create things that may help others in the future. Accordingly, I plan to study biomedical engineering in the future, and hopefully design or discover products that are able to make an improvement in peoples lives. Another area of interest would be the repair and conservation of the environment. This year, I am heavily involved with the environmental committee at my school, and it has been a real wake up call to what needs to be done in order to sustain the world we live in.

I also have a huge interest in music, both listening and playing on the guitar, new languages particularly Japanese and sports such as football and badminton. I love trying new things and meeting new people through these extracurricular activities. Thank you to the Talented School Students Travel Award Fund for making this extraordinary opportunity possible for me, and many other students in New Zealand.