Volunteer Profile: Samantha Chau

Samantha Chau is a 3rd year Engineering Science student at the University of Toronto. is specializing in Biomedical Systems.

When and how did you first hear about Pueblo Science?

I had another friend, Bipasha, who had already been volunteering with Pueblo Science, and she brought it up over this past summer that they had been looking for volunteers. After I asked her a bit more about the organization, my interest was piqued.

What volunteering job have you done with Pueblo Science?

I have been creating and editing video content for Good Morning Science: Home Edition on the Pueblo Science YouTube channel. As introduced before on Pueblo Science's social media, you can say that I am one of the hosts for the show.

What attracted you to this cause?

As with many other people, a lot of plans I had for the summer (and potential plans for after the summer) got turned upside down. I found myself back at home without much work to do, but I still wanted to be productive in some sort of way. After hearing about Pueblo Science and the work that they have been doing, I thought it was such a great idea to provide children with fun experiments they could do at home, as well as maybe help out some parents educate and entertain their children at home.

What inspires you?

I wouldn't say I have a specific person or experience that really inspires me. Instead, I have more of a philosophy: if I can make at least one person's day better today, then I can say I had a good day.

How has the volunteering experience changed you?

Normally, I generally avoid being on camera or in photos. Specifically, I am not a huge fan of seeing myself (besides the mirror) or hearing recordings of my voice. However, being a host on GMS: Home Edition meant that I had to very quickly get over that. Previously, I had very little experience in editing videos as well, so I have definitely learned much from the experience. Overall, I would say that Pueblo Science has challenged me and allowed me to develop skills that I likely would have never gotten the chance to develop on my own.

Why do you continue to support Pueblo Science?

Evidently, COVID-19 is something that won't be going away just yet, so making these fun videos is something that can be helpful for many people still staying at home. Through these experiments, I also get to learn some pretty cool things as well, and it's been fun surprising my family with them too.

What do you think other people should know about Pueblo Science?

I haven't been with Pueblo Science very long, and since I joined during the lockdown, I haven't had much opportunity to really get to know the organization well. However, what I can say is that they really try to reach out to an international audience and are dedicated to STEM outreach in fun and unique ways.

Are you an undergraduate, graduate or high school student? If yes, what year, degree and major/program of study?

I am an undergraduate engineering student at the University of Toronto. This past April, I just completed my 3rdyear in Engineering Science, Biomedical Systems, and currently I am on a work term at a ventilator company.