Question: what makes you so compassionate about your cause?

Aaron Boardley answered on 16 Nov 2015:

I think I’m passionate about science for two reasons.

Firstly – because I’m interested in it! I think we all spend time being enthusiastic about the things we’re interested in.

Secondly – because it really makes a difference. From medicine to engineering, science helps us understand, fix, and make things. Look around you and you’ll see the work of scientists everywhere, from the food on your table to the computer you’re typing on.

If I win, I’m donating the money to a charity that offers places for school experiences to experience university on a short taster course, to help them see if studying engineering at university is right for them.

When I was 16, I went on a similar course and it really helped me. Mr parents didn’t go to university, and not many people from my school did, so I didn’t really know what it would be like. Courses like this help more people from more different backgrounds get into science and engineering – and that’s what we need! The country is running out of engineers as not enough people are studying it, and we’re particularly lacking in women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds. So, I’m really keen to use the prize money to help a few students give university a go – the country needs the engineers and students deserve the opportunity!