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Honour your science mentor!At Let's Talk Science, we know that mentors played an integral role in inspiring you, engaging you and encouraging you to make science a part of your life. Who was your science mentor? A teacher, your parents, a neighbour, Let's Talk Science? What experience ignited your interest in science, engineering and technology? Please join our current volunteers and alumni by posting your science mentor tribute on the Let's Talk Science Facebook page. Just click the "like" button and type away! Another way you can honour your mentor is by making a donation to Let's Talk Science in their name. This tangible tribute to your mentor helps Let's Talk Science connect science role model mentors with children and youth. Click the "donate now" button at the top right of this page, or visit our supporter page to learn how to make a gift. Here are some recent tributes to science mentors: "My first science mentors didn't appear until I had returned to school. I had decided, after being a medical secretary for 7 years, that although I loved my work, I wanted to return to school. I thought at the time that I would go into physiotherapy and so took some human kinetics courses and some physiology courses in biology. I loved the biology courses and so switched to biology thinking I would go into medicine. In my second year I had an ecology prof, Scott Findlay, whose superb teaching and passion for ecology and evolution was infectious. In my third year I did a small research course and knew I would have to do my honours because the research was thrilling! With support from Scott and another prof and mentor Jaroslav Picman, I went to Newfoundland for 6 weeks to study seabirds. I knew then that research was my passion and went on to do my masters. After completing my masters, my goals changed somewhat with my marriage and the birth of my son. I wanted to stay at home with my son and stay connected to science - Let's Talk Science gave me that opportunity and I am forever grateful that Let's Talk Science exists! I had many mentors while working at Let's Talk Science most notably Barb Vanderhyden who inspired me with her tremendous commitment to science outreach and the staff at the national office - who are among the most creative and dedicated people I know and inspired me to be the best national coordinator I could be. My grandmother instilled in me a passion for volunteering as she volunteered for as long as I can remember and won a Governor General's Award for her volunteering when I was in my 20's. As I return to school and make connections, I already know two people who will be my mentors in this new field I have chosen to study!" — Sue McKee, Let's Talk Science Staff Member 2003-2010 and current volunteer "My parents were my first science mentors. Oddly enough, they weren't scientists but they encouraged me to be curious. We lived near Lake Ontario and my dad would take me and my sisters on walks along the beach in the mornings. We'd collect rocks and bugs and I'd bring them home and collect them in jars or in our yard. I'd even collect dandelions and other wildflowers and give them to my mom. Even though my mom was incredibly allergic to some plants, and I easily ruined her rose bushes by bringing home large rocks and dumping them on the flowers, my parents never stopped me from asking questions and being curious. In our travels, my dad took me snorkelling for the first time at 12 and I saw reef fish and corals in the Philippines. I was hooked on water. On another trip, to Florida, we stood for a long time on a dock and searched for wild dolphins and found them. Later, in university, I came to love field courses in marine biology and geology in places like Barbados, the Grand Canyon and Costa Rica. My professors and TAs (especially Prof. Williams, Prof. Howard and Dr. Katarina Magnusson) then became mentors to me and taught me all about doing field-based research. I guess it's no surprise that I became an ecologist!" — Catherine Febria, PhD Candidate, University of Toronto; Let's Talk Science Volunteer University of Toronto Scarborough 2005-2010 “One
day my wife asked me the reason for my effervescent passion for science,
engineering and technology. My response was I owe it all to Maestro Pepe (José
de Tapia Bujalance, 1896 Spain -1989 Mexico). During my primary school years in Mexico City, Maestro
Pepe, the director of my school, had the magic touch and the extraordinary
talent to provide us with simple explanations of any difficult phenomenon
within his Physics class of the curriculum. Maestro Pepe was an effective
science mentor who had the rare ability of harvesting passion for science and
technology as well as engaging kids into the unknown. Maestro Pepe
transformed every teaching opportunity into a hands-on experience for the
students, from simple lever arm and pivot tricks to amazing color lighting
shows. A simple physics class was turned instantly into a minds-on adventure
that ignited the interest of every kid. The lecture on light was then blended
with the vegetable and gardening breaks and the effects of photosynthesis. The
pulley system then rapidly progressed to the gear principles and motion
generation. Looking back on what Maestro Pepe was doing (and I wish I had done
this with my own students) I see that he was helping us to have a positive
attitude and believe in ourselves’ attitude to life. Without us knowing, Pepe —
as all the students called our beloved teacher — taught us the value of respect
and reinforced trust and collaboration. Pepe planted in us the difference
between liberties through education versus libertinism. Pepe empowered the
students with a scientific and inquisitive mind and the muscle of team work.
Pepe awakened, stimulated and encouraged our creativity and innovation. Pepe
was our friend — a true friend. Pepe left this world back in 1989; his funeral
was a “black-hole” that attracted alumni and parents from all over the world.
He left this world one great mentor less but enriched the world with many
enthusiastic and eager prospective mentors. Even in his grave — Pepe was able
to teach us and made us reflect on the beauty of life and that the
opportunities for advancement are endless — just limited by our imagination and
education.” — Ricardo Torres-Moreno, Director, Clinical Technology, Bloorview
Kids Rehab; Innovation Outreach Network Volunteer "I had many great science teachers and chemistry professors over the years, but my mother was probably my most important science mentor. She is an X-ray technician, which is to say that she takes pictures of people's skeleton's all day. Even though she didn't work for a number of years when I was a child, it was always clear how much she loved her job. There were textbooks on the skeletal system on our bookshelf, there were real X-rays that she had kept for my brother and I to look at and she was always ready with a cool fact about the body. More importantly, my mother was always willing to help me set up a science experiment or read a science book with me, even when it went beyond what her science background was. To this day, my parents are encouraging and supportive that I'm making a career out of my love for all things science-related!" — Alyson Kenward, Section Manager, CurioCity.ca
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"My science mentor was Mr. Nickerson, my high school biology teacher.
His
passionate and lighthearted approach to the science of life, combined
with
innovative, hands-on approaches to teaching have stuck with me to this
day. Science education is my way of sharing the wonder that I have about
the natural
world with others. Let’s Talk Science helps connect me with the people
who,
whether they know it yet or not, have the same curiosity for science as I
do." — Hana Kucera, PhD, Kelp scientist and harvester, Canadian Kelp
Resources; Let’s Talk Science Volunteer UNB
2006-2008 
"My inspiring science mentor was Burr Atkinson, a professor at The University of Western Ontario, who
taught me that Genetics (and scientific research in general) was far more about
problem solving and critical thinking than about memorizing textbooks — a
message that needs to reach more teachers and students sooner than 3rd year
university. Let's Talk Science has always impressed me as an organization focused on
inspiring discovery through hands on science in classrooms — it is more than
"magic" or "wow" science and emphasizes critical thinking and the relationship
building between scientists, teachers, and schoolchildren. Because of this
approach, it breaks down many barriers between these groups, gives great role
models for students, and improves the public outreach skill set of the
scientists involved, a great step forward for inspiring the next generation of
innovators." — David Kent,
PhD, Post
Doctoral Fellow at
Cambridge
University,
UK;
Let’s Talk Science Volunteer, UBC 2004-2009
"My first science mentor was Mr. Squires, my high school biology teacher, who made
science fun and engaging. However, throughout my undergraduate, graduate and
post-graduate career I have been fortunate to have had multiple generous and
enthusiastic mentors who have shaped me into the scientist I have become! I really believe in what Let's Talk Science is doing for science outreach and
literacy in Canada. I enjoy sharing my love of science with others, but I also
appreciate that a public that understands the value of science in their daily
lives, believes in the importance of education and research. I also believe that
the ability to communicate science makes scientists better ambassadors of their
research, and better researchers overall." — Marianne Stanford,
PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow,
Bell Lab, Ottawa Health Research Institute; Let’s Talk Science Volunteer
MUN,
1997–1999 & Dalhousie 2000-2004
