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Supporting our brightest young scientists!

  • Luca Ririnui - introducing our final team member

      8 June 2024
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    Kia ora tātou, ko Ngai Te Rangi tōku iwi, ko Luca Ririnui tōku ingoa. I'm a year 13 student at Mount Maunganui College and I'm so excited to compete with the rest of Team Aotearoa at the International Biology Olympiad in Kazakhstan this July. I'm passionate about many areas of science, but I find that there's something especially magical about the mechanisms of life - how natural compounds and physical forces interact to create the experience we all live every day. In my spare time I enjoy debating, playing badminton, and a little bit of acting on the side. Unfortunately, I can't argue with invertebrates or bacterial genomes, so I'll have to rely on my dissecting and molecular bio skills there! It was a huge honour to be selected with the other 3 incredible students on this team, I know we're all hoping to make our country proud in just a few weeks' time.

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  • Jifei Shao - an inspirational student

      2 June 2024
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    I’m Jifei Shao, a year 13 at St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland. Biology has log been my passion, and has played an instrumental role in shaping the way I think and perceive the world. It’s truly enlightening to see the science in graphs and pictures tangibly in both our lives and the wider world around us. Being able to work with this hard-working and passionate team has been the most amazing experience, and I’m so glad to on this journey with them. I’m incredibly grateful to the NZIBO program for fostering a love for biology by creating a platform that allows young minds to discuss and learn biology together, as well as to my school for nurturing my love of learning and passion for biology. I hope our journey inspires other aspiring scientists to also take a leap of faith and to try something beyond their comfort zone.

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  • Introducing Sophie

      18 May 2024
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    Kia Ora, I’m Sophie Webber, a year 13 at Woodford House, Havelock North. I am a big lover of learning, especially in biology - I find understanding and researching how the world around us works is so fascinating. I’m also keen on sports and live a super active lifestyle, valuing a sport/study balance to keep me sane! Having the opportunity to represent New Zealand in an area I’m so passionate about is just amazing - and to be able to do it alongside such great people and with the support of an amazing NZIBO programme is part of what makes this opportunity so exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the work our team has put into our studies pay off, and feel very honoured to represent our country. I hope that our work inspires other students to take opportunities regardless of whether they think they will be successful or not - I certainly didn’t expect to get this far in the programme; but it just goes to show that with hard work and the right support team, you can turn a niche interest into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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  • Highlighting Anika

      13 May 2024
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    Kia ora, my name is Anika Hayes and I’m a Year 13 at Waitaki Girls’ High School, in Oamaru. I have always enjoyed Biology, from plants to animals, to bacteria to the human body. I just love learning about the world around me. My journey with NZIBO started about 9 months ago when I decided I would sit the entrance exam “just for fun”. Little did I know that this would lead on to me being selected for the training camp and ultimately the IBO team. Representing not only my school and town but also the whole country is such an honour and means so much to me. This is especially important for me as it shows students from small rural schools can do just as well as those from the bigger schools. I hope that my success will not only inspire students at Waitaki Girls’ but all students from small rural schools to strive to achieve their best.

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