On the 13th of May 2025, I used my I’m a Scientist prize money to bring around 25 students from my hometown to Oxford University for a day exploring what life at university — and especially studying science and engineering — is really like.

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….by the end, several told me they could see themselves studying science or engineering in the future.

The day started with a talk about university life and what it means to study at a place like Oxford. The students then got to tour one of the colleges, seeing the historic buildings up close and even having lunch in the college’s great hall — a real highlight for many of them!

In the afternoon, they took part in an introduction to engineering session, where they could see how science and creativity come together to solve real-world problems.

It was amazing to watch their curiosity grow throughout the day. Many of them had never visited a university before, and by the end, several told me they could see themselves studying science or engineering in the future.

I’m incredibly grateful to I’m a Scientist for making this event possible. It was such a rewarding experience to be able to show the students from my hometown how inspiring and exciting science at university can be.

If you’d like the chance to win funding for your own public engagement work, apply to take part in I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here: Scientist Registration