• Question: Who was your role model when you were young?

    Asked by Kitty to Matthew, Neil, Paula, Pete, Philippa on 9 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Neil Taylor

      Neil Taylor answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Hi !

      I studied Albert Einstein in primary school as part of a class project, and I really enjoyed finding out about him and what he accomplished in his life! I remember thinking that it was cool that, despite initially failing an entrance exam for university, he went on to put forward his theories on “Relativity” and contribute to “Quantum Theory” (which won him a Nobel prize in 1922) and become as well respected as he is today.

      I didn’t really understand what these were back then (I understand a little about them now, but certainly not a lot!), but I still thought it was cool.

      He was also passionate about a whole lot of things, including art and philosophy. Finding out about these other things made him seem more than just a scientist, and also made him more likable!

    • Photo: Pete Symons

      Pete Symons answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      I was pretty sporty when I was younger, I still am, but I’m not quite as fast or agile as I used to be. So I would have to say my role model was most likely some sporting stars of the time such as Nick Faldo (Golf) and Neil Jenkins (Rugby).

    • Photo: Philippa Jefferis

      Philippa Jefferis answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      I must admit I didn’t really have any role models growing up – unless you count George from Famous Five? I read a lot as a kid and so I had lots of people in books that I wanted to be like, mostly the characters that found secret tunnels or hidden doors.

      However, now I have plenty of people within engineering who I admire. In particular, there are a number of engineers who do a lot of international development work. They help to improve the lives of people who live in poverty, through the use of engineering. I would really like to help make a difference in the world through my engineering, so these are the kind of people that inspire and motivate me.

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