Written by Journalist, Angela Norval - Bundaberg Today, Friday February 25, 2022
Having moved from Brisbane to Bundaberg, year 12 Imogen Kirk found her future direction at St Luke’s Anglican School.
For Imogen, becoming a part of the St Luke’s Anglican School community in grade nine enabled her to feel like she had a voice and was recognised for her individual personality and skills.
“I am thankful to my parents for giving me the opportunity to study at St Luke’s Anglican School because the support of teachers who have made a really difference in helping me to realise the future study I need to take and the career I aspire to,” Imogen said.
While Imogen is well known for a variety of things around the school, even being a former skipping world champion working with skipping legend Luke Boon, it is her recent work experience that clearly stands out.
During January 2022, Imogen was fortunate enough to join Dr Derek Richard and his team at the Cancer and Ageing Research Program for a week of work experience at the transitional research institute.
“It was amazing to be there in the building which is made up of even floors with countless labs for experimenting and finding new discoveries,” she said.
“CARP is a comprehensive cancer research initiative working towards the development of drugs and treatments that also impact upon diseases that general effect our ageing popular such as Alzheimer’s and I was blown away by the countless state of the art pieces of equipment such as electron microscopes and robotic arms to transfer testing rays when screening time was finished or images taken.
“TRI was full with other amazing research groups as well focusing on different areas.”
Being at QUT and getting this experience in a medical laboratory only increased Imogen’s desire for more work experience, this time in IVF moving into a Med Lab Science degree in 2023 and eventually working in the science field.
Mr Kersnovske said he had found that it was important students take as many opportunities they can to enable them to really know this is the field they want to study when they finish year 12.
“Imogen herself through her work experience learnt so much first hand and developed a clear passion for this type of laboratory work even greater than she had before because she got to witness not only the equipment but these specialists achieving so much in their chosen field,” he said.
“She could really see herself there making a difference in this field and any way at St Luke’s Anglican School we can help make work experience, extra training or course work happen for our students we will do it, because we love nothing more than seeing them achieve.”
For Imogen, her work experience is clearly something she would have happen again tomorrow in a heartbeat.
“It was great to see the work and outcomes of this possible job pathway and has made me even more excited to find my future path.”
“I have so much new found knowledge due to the amazing opportunity that was given to me by Dr Richard and CARP.”
“I would encourage everyone to participate in work experience if they have an idea of what they want to do in the future because I found it not only so rewarding to be able to do something that I would enjoy and want to do in the future but because you can try something new and find out if it is actually something you would enjoy or if not, you can cross it off the list.”
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