|
PRESS RELEASE / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
|
PRESS RELEASE / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
is awarded to
"I am so grateful to receive this scholarship, it has allowed me to focus on sharing my passion for physics with students" winner quote
The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is pleased to announce that the 2025 Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship is awarded to Courtney Kates, University of Waterloo, in recognition of her excellent academic record and extensive experience in physics education and outreach. Additionally, she has demonstrated remarkable innovation and initiative by designing low-cost experiments, developing lab resources, and delivering outreach sessions to students across Canada. Courtney's passion for teaching stems from a lifelong curiosity about the world, and she hopes to share that wonder by “[showing] people that physics is fun” and “creating free enrichment opportunities for students so they can have their love of physics nurtured. announcement
I have always loved physics. One of my first memories was throwing paper down the stairs and watching how it fell. At the time, I was labelled a mischievous child, but looking back, that was the start of my curiosity. I also remember lining up my toys and pretending to teach them math. My mom told me I'd grow out of that, but 2 decades later, I still adore kinematics and review for exams by teaching stuffed animals. I am interested in this scholarship because of my passion for teaching physics. I have met people who say they dislike physics because it wasn't taught well, I want to help show people that physics is fun. The highlights of my Undergraduate degree have been the times when I got to teach this subject that I care so much about. I come from a single-parent household so finances have always been tight, this scholarship would greatly ease the burden of pursuing my teaching dream. While in school, there have been many opportunities for me to engage with science that my mom could not afford to send me to. I grew up wanting nothing more than to learn all I could but our financial situation prevented that. I am deeply passionate about creating free enrichment opportunities for students so they can have their love of physics nurtured, and being a teacher would help me pursue that goal. With this scholarship, instead of being a full-time student with a part-time job, I can be a full-time student and use my free time to create hands-on activities for the next generation of Canadian physicists. nominator citation