‘Outdoors’ is
student ambassador Lewin Eatough’s happy place. “I’ve just fixed up my bikes, so I go off cycling in the Royal National Park whenever I can now. Sometimes at ridiculous times in the morning,” he says. “It clears your head, and you can be off in your own world.”
That love of being out in nature eventually led Lewin to pursue Environmental Biology at UTS, something he chose towards the end of a gap year he took after a difficult HSC. “I didn’t have a great time at school. At North Sydney Boys’ everyone else seemed to know what they wanted. They were all pushing to get the highest marks and I kind of fell behind. When that happens, you can feel overwhelmed and you struggle to catch up,” he says. “I felt like I wasn’t any good at academics and I didn’t know what I was going to do. So, I took a gap year.”
The break gave Lewin time to stop and think about what he really wanted. “My first thought was, ‘okay, what will get me outdoors?’” he says. “A few of my friends were doing biology, and Mum was getting into gardening, so they were all talking about plants. I started to look at degrees related to that, even though I didn’t do science in school.”
Finding a golden pathway Although he says he applied for ‘everything’, Lewin ultimately chose UTS College. “At first it was just one of many places I was applying for, but I realise now it’s actually kind of golden – a great pathway. The College helped me prepare for getting into the sciences, and the way the course was structured really helped. I feel like UTS College stuck their hand out and gave me an opportunity,” he says.
After successfully completing a
Diploma of Science at UTS College, Lewin went directly to second year of
Bachelor of Environmental Biology at UTS. He says, “I just kind of threw myself into my diploma. I’m really proud that I was able to stick at it. Now I have a good, clear picture of what I want.”
Leadership and teamwork UTS College also gave Lewin the opportunity to become a
student ambassador. “I’d heard of the program, then one of my teachers at the College said I should give it a try,” he says. “I haven’t typically been great with social media or technology, but learning about it has been fun.”
Lewin’s earlier leadership experience has helped him make the most of the role. He says, “I’ve been a leader with after-school kids’ programs and youth programs at my church. I’ve done that since being a junior leader when I was in Year 10. And now I coordinate the Year 7-9 program on Sunday mornings. That’s quite a lot of organisation – making sure the other leaders up to speed as well.”
Music lover Lewin still enjoys playing cello with his dad. His love of sport has helped too. “I’ve been cricket captain, and sometimes I’ve been football captain as well. Sport is all about bringing everyone along with you to reach a goal. And as an ambassador – at something like Open Day when everyone needs to know what they’re doing – it’s all about teamwork too. All those things overlap.”
Since becoming an ambassador, there’s been a lot of personal growth too. “I like how it adds variety to every week, and I feel like I’ve grown so much. Now I have the confidence to speak on the spot and just roll with it when I would have panicked before. I feel like this program is preparing me for work later in life, which is a big benefit.”
Telling stories about nature If one of Lewin’s career dreams falls into place, those presentation skills certainly won’t go astray. He says, “Going into environmental journalism would be so much fun. People tell me as a joke that I’ll be the next David Attenborough, but I would secretly love to be that person. The way he tells stories about nature is magical and so inspiring.”
Lewin says whole world of science inspires him. “I’ve learnt to love asking the question, ‘Why?’” he says. “I didn’t always, but it’s crucial to science. Ask that question more and more and you find the fun. There’s so much more than what we just see. I think I love doing things that are new, and with science, it’s just things that are new all the time. It’s just non-stop learning.”
The power of music Music is another important inspiration in Lewin’s life. He says, “My Dad’s a cellist and I grew up playing the cello. We have an instrument at home that’s almost 200 years old – I think Dad got it in Wales – and it’s lovely to play. It sounds so rich.” Ever the leader, Lewin’s been happy to share his love of music with a group of friends. “Every month I’d organise with them to go to a classical concert,” he says. “We made it into a big event, plan where we’d go for dinner, get all dressed up, and go the Opera House. It was a big social chill time. I don’t think resting is just sleep. Rest can be relaxing and enjoyable.”
After Lewin graduates (he’d like to complete and Honours year), he wants to work full-time while he saves to go to the UK. “If I have the marks, I’d like to go to uni in London and do a Master of Science Communication,” he says. “And hopefully out of that, get a job doing environmental journalism somewhere – maybe even with the BBC. Or I could do a Master of Journalism here. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Whether or not he becomes the next David Attenborough, Lewin believes he will find success. “People think success is about numbers and all that – things you can measure – but I think it’s a lot more about how you’re feeling in the end, if you’re happy with what you’re doing,” he says.
Find out more about the UTS College Diploma of Science>