Profile
Aythya Young
My CV
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Education:
Trinity Primary School (4-11)
Grainville School (11-14)
Hautlieu School (14-18)
The University of Edinburgh (18-) -
Qualifications:
Grainville School: I took my Science GCSE in Year 9 which allowed me to get an additional GCSE in Science and inspired me to work hard.
Hautlieu School: GCSEs in Maths, English Literature, English Language, Geography, History, Music, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish. These helped me to get onto my A-Level courses.
Hautlieu School: AS-Level in English literature and A-Levels in Biology, Geography and History. These helped me get onto my dream University course.
The University of Edinburgh: Undergraduate degree in Geography (MA), followed by a Masters by Research in GeoSciences. Both of these helped me to achieve funding to undertake a PhD in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences.
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Work History:
– Worked at the visitor centre and shop at Jersey Zoo for 2 years before i went to University.
– Worked as a Nanny for a family during the fourth year of my undergraduate degree.
– Worked as a Nanny for another family during my Masters. -
Current Job:
I am currently a PhD student at The University of Edinburgh.
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About Me:
I am a PhD student in Edinburgh looking at fossil insects and climatic/ environmental change in Norway. I love going on walks looking for wildlife or swimming in the sea (even in winter!๐ฅถ).
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I was born on the tiny island of Jerseyย ๐ฏ๐ชย and was super lucky to grow up living within Jersey Zoo as both of my parents worked as zookeepers ๐ป๐ฆ๐ฆ. I am also named after a duck that my dad helped save from extinction ๐ฆ!ย This is where I learnt to love animals and knew i wanted to be a scientist. My family are foster carers and we have helped look after over 50 children, which means my house is always busy and never boring ๐! I moved to Edinburgh to study Geography ๐ and i fell in love with the city and the department and have never left. I have the coolest PhD in the world where i get to dig up mud in Norway and look at beetles all day ๐ชฒ๐ฌ! In my spare time i like to go for long walks, cycles or swims (although i also love watching TV and playing Xbox games with my boyfriend ๐ฎ).
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My research is based in arctic Norway, where i use fossil insects (mostly Beetles) to reconstruct Lateglacial (Ice Age) and Holocene environmental and climatic conditions. I can then look at how these have changed over time, which will hopefully help us understand the impact of climate change better. I am also investigating the effect humans have had on the landscape and other animals over a long period of time. I will also hopefully get to work on some exciting new environmental DNA techniques. Northern Norway is especially important to investigate as the Arctic is changing at a scarily fast rate due to climate change, and my long term records may help us predict the impact of these changes.โ๏ธ๐ชฒ
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My Typical Day:
I get up early and do a fun work out to wake me up for the day ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ. I then sit down at a microscope most of the day identifying beetles (which is so much fun) ๐ฌ. I also drink a lot of tea and answer boring emails โ๏ธ.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Friendly, motivated and inquisitive.
What did you want to be after you left school?
An archaeologist or a museum curator
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Only for talking a lot ๐ฌ
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Florence and The Machine
What's your favourite food?
Fajitas or Nachos
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Procrastinate less, worry less and visit every country in the world!
Tell us a joke.
What do you call a pencil without lead? Pointless!
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