Nayland student named among top chemists in NZ

A Nayland College student has been named one of the top four student chemists in the country, which will see her head to Switzerland in July.

Year 13 student Isla Swanney has made the NZ Chemistry Olympiad team, along with three Auckland-based students, who will be competing together at the 55th International Chemistry Olympiad in Switzerland.

Isla says the process to be selected for the team was a rigorous one, involving tests, training materials, lectures and then exams.

She will be joining students from around 90 countries in Switzerland.

Isla says, after joining 31 others from New Zealand at a camp in Auckland, she was not expecting to make the team.

“I was not expecting it, the tests weren’t too bad but all the lectures and problems they gave us were really hard, all the other people there were so smart and amazing, I was just really suprised.”

While she doesn’t study chemistry at school, having already passed her Level 3 calculus and chemistry last year, maths and science subjects have always interested her.

“I think in chemistry I quite like the problem-solving side. It’s not so much like biology where you have to memorise a whole bunch of stuff. It goes more on concept knowledge and formulas which I quite like.”

Isla also studies history, Spanish, physics, psychology and biology.

She says she doesn’t know what to expect from the trip but is looking forward to seeing some of Switzerland.

“A lot of it is showing us around Switzerland and Zurich and some of their science labs. I’m hoping it will be more of a sightseeing thing rather than just lectures.

“They have world-class science labs and universities so it will be really cool just seeing what they’re doing. Going to research facilities and seeing what they’re doing will be really cool.”

Most of her trip expenses are covered by the New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad Trust, with students being asked to fundraise and contribute $1000 of their own money.

Isla has received a grant from the Kāmahi Trust to cover the final $1000.

She says her biggest takeaway from the Auckland training camp was a possible new career path.

“In terms of future career paths, I had never really thought of doing chemistry,” she says.

“But doing this, I’ve really enjoyed the problems and the practicals, so it’s given me another option.”

She says next year she will “probably” be going to university.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing there yet. I’ve kind of narrowed it down to a science or engineering degree, but that’s still pretty broad.

“I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do, I don’t have a very good idea of what most actual jobs involve but at the moment, some sort of engineering job or research would be quite interesting as well.”

With not long to go until her trip to Switzerland, Isla says it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but she is excited.