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Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools
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ST JOHN’S SCHOOL, ROMA STUDENT WINS PRESTIGIOUS STEM AWARD

Teacher, Mark Shields and Amy York

Amy York, a Year 12 student at St John’s School, Roma has received a Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education.  The awards recognise students, teachers, support officers, schools and education partners (volunteers, mentors and organisations) who demonstrate an outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland.

Amy won the Outstanding Senior STEM Student category and will receive a bursary of $5,000.  The awards will be presented on 9 August by the Honorable Grace Grace MP, Minister for Education at the Peter Doherty Awards Ceremony to be held at the Queensland University of Technology.

Amy has been a student at St John’s School since Prep and has always had a strong interest in STEM. 

“My teacher, Mr Shields informed me about this award so I thought it could be beneficial to apply to assist with my future endeavours in STEM. I would like to pursue a career in computer science as I currently find cyber security and quantum computing interesting areas and would be happy going into either of these fields,” said Amy.

Amy plans to go to Australian National University next year to study a double degree in Advanced Computing and Mathematical Sciences. “I plan to use the bursary to pay for some of the fees associated with my first year of university,” said Amy.

St John’s teacher, Mr Mark Shields said, “Amy has a great enthusiasm for the STEM area and is always wanting to know more, often doing her own research and going well beyond what is expected of her. Amy is achieving exceptionally high results across all her subjects and she willingly gives of her time to help other students in the class when they are having difficulty.  Amy also spends a large amount of her time helping the school and Roma community – running the IT/sound equipment for assemblies, presentations, musicals and masses.” 

The awards are named after Professor Peter Doherty, a Brisbane-born Nobel Prize-winning scientist who was educated at Indooroopilly State High School and the University of Queensland. An immunologist and pathologist, Professor Doherty now spends his time at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.