Amelia Grose is the winner of the Clean World Zone, after receiving the most votes from students!
They win $500 to spend on more science engagement activities.
Here’s what they have to say about their victory…

Wow! Thank you so much to all of the students! In a lot of ways, I feel like I learned more from them than they did from me! It was such a great experience getting to talk about my Arctic research and connect with them, they had awesome questions that really made me think. I can’t thank the students and the I’m a Scientist team enough for making this such a fun experience!

So often in science, we feel very one-dimensional – that only our research matters. Being part of this program and getting questions from students reminded me of my other dimensions, especially when they asked questions about other aspects of my life – what sports I like, what pets I have, where I want to travel next. The insightful questions that the students asked not only helped me learn how to better explain my research, but also reminded me of all I have to offer.

One student specifically asked me what being a scientist in the world of COVID was like, since they knew that communication is important for scientists and it can be hard to communicate with even your own lab group when everyone is in different locations. This question really left an impact on me because it’s something I (and I think many of us) have struggled with – connecting with your coworkers or labmates when you aren’t in the same office as them. Starting my PhD in Fall 2020 with everything virtual made this especially difficult for me. The student who asked this question really made me feel seen – like my struggles and perseverance weren’t going unnoticed. The students who participated in this program really taught me more about myself than I could have ever imagined!

I had so much fun participating in I’m a Scientist and I hope the students did too! I also loved getting to see the responses from the other scientists. Although we were all participating in the Clean World Zone, there was an incredible range of careers, study topics, and pathways to becoming a scientist that were represented. I wish my middle school teachers had signed up for programs like this so I could have seen that being a scientist wasn’t just being stuck in a lab mixing chemicals in beakers all day! I hope this program showed students that there is no one way a scientist should look – science is for anyone and everyone!

If you’re a scientist considering participating in this effort, I highly encourage it – the students are so lively and inquisitive, you can’t help but smile at some of their questions and comments! And teachers, I can’t thank you enough for fostering such a sense of curiosity in our future scientists!