Xenia Berger

I’m in year 13 at Havelock North High School. I am extremely excited to be one of the students to be selected for the 51st Dr Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute in Israel 2019. This four-week science camp will enable students to work on real science projects while being mentored by accomplished scientists and world-class researchers. We also get to listen to lectures from senior scientists, as well as getting to see different parts of Israel.

Having never been to the Middle East, this will be an incredibly exciting journey for me. In more ways that one as this experience will undoubtedly challenge the way we think and end up being unforgettable.

I have always been interested in the sciences, particularly biology and chemistry, and I hope that this trip will help me figure out what I want to study at university next year. While I have many ideas which are all based around biology and chemistry, I am still undecided. This year I take statistics, Spanish, English, biology and scholarship calculus, having already taken Level 3 physics, chemistry and calculus last year.

Outside of school, I enjoy singing in the school choir, playing the piano and recently I started doing Taekwondo. I am also fond of cooking, reading and hiking. I was a part of the school environmental committee for two years and am now a leader of the school academic committee. Protecting our environment is a great passion of mine, as well as giving back to the community, which is why I have been actively involved in many voluntary projects, including volunteering for the Presbyterian support east coast.   

I am very honoured to be able to attend the international science camp in Israel and I would like to give a big thank you to the Royal Society Te Apārangi for providing me and many others with this amazing opportunity.