Community & Business
12 August, 2021
Young aspiring neuroscientist wins state Brain Bee Challenge
Grade 10 student Caitlin Wadley has gone from country town science classrooms to the big laboratories, taking out the top place in the Queensland Finals for the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC) at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI).
BY ELLIE FINK
Grade 10 student Caitlin Wadley has gone from country town science classrooms to the big laboratories, taking out the top place in the Queensland Finals for the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC) at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI).
The ABBC is a competition for Grade 10 high school students, as a way to teach aspiring young scientists about brain functions and begin their potential careers in neuroscience.
Caitlin, a passionate science and maths student at St Stephen's Catholic College (SSCC), said that the competition being held at QBI was enough to keep her beaming with joy.
“I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, the labs were incredible and I just can't wait to get among those people (at QBI) and learn from them,” she said.
“The facilities down there were incredible and the research projects that we heard about were really intriguing.
“I am really interested in the brain because there is so much to know and with neuroscience being a relatively new field it offers so much room for curiosity and discovery.”
In preparation for the competition, Caitlin undertook many online modules to learn about the brain and its functions, with her friends supporting her along the way.
“This year we used Education Perfect to learn our material but my friends were a huge help by quizzing me during study,” Caitlin said.
“I also used a lot of online resources to get a grasp of the content we were covering and took plenty of notes.
“To have won means a lot to me and it means my hardwork has really paid off . I spent a lot of time preparing because this is a field I am very interested in.
“I set myself really high goals and my friends are always there to back me up and push me to be better and have full faith that I will get there with the right work ethic and passion.”
SSCC Principal Ms Kerry Manders said that she was incredibly proud of Caitlin and her progress throughout the competition.
“I am incredibly proud of Caitlin's eff orts in being awarded Queensland champion and I am delighted for Caitlin and our staff to see their efforts and hard work come to fruition,” Ms Manders said.
“Caitlin has been working closely with another student, Natalie Millerd, who placed sixth in the Queensland Final and Ms Andrea Chiesa, our Psychology teacher.”
Caitlin will now be spending a week as an intern in the QBI labs in Brisbane over September as well as working alongside her psychology teacher in preparation for the National Titles in hopes to achieve her dreams as a neuroscientist.
