What does it take to turn a passion for science into a future career?  

For two of last year's Year 12 students, Melissa B. and Iria C., a summer placement at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, offered an extraordinary opportunity to find out. 

Organised for the second consecutive year through a collaboration between our Science Department, CERN and Futures, such placements reflect the school's growing commitment to experiential learning: experiences that provide students like Melissa and Iria with invaluable opportunities to step beyond the classroom, encounter the realities of professional and research environments, and discover where their interests and ambitions might lead. 

"Our ambition is to broaden the horizons of experiential learning, creating opportunities for our students not only within Greece, but also beyond its borders. Research placements such as CERN are particularly exciting because they allow students to experience scientific enquiry first-hand and explore where their interests might lead. This year it was especially rewarding to see young women gaining the confidence and inspiration to pursue opportunities in STEM. Such experiences are about much more than strengthening university applications; they are about helping students discover what genuinely excites them and make informed choices about their futures." 

Mrs Rebecca Demetriades, Head of Futures 

During their week at CERN, Melissa and Iria experienced the remarkable world of international scientific research and engineering, working alongside experts and gaining insight into the collaborative work behind some of today's most ambitious scientific projects. 

From Physics to Engineering: Melissa's Experience 

With ambitions to study mechanical engineering and pursue a career in the automotive and manufacturing industries, Melissa spent a week shadowing researchers and discovering how advanced engineering principles are applied to some of the world's most complex scientific projects. 

“This valuable experience further fuelled my passion for handling complex mechanical systems and demonstrated the critical importance of precision and innovation, qualities I aim to apply to my future in the engineering field.”  

Melissa B., Year 13 student

Inspired by the international collaboration and pioneering research she witnessed, Melissa now hopes to one day contribute her own expertise to CERN's future accelerator upgrades and engineering projects. 

Where Science Meets Ambition: Iria's Experience 

For Iria, the experience was equally transformative. From exploring the ATLAS detector and the Antimatter Factory to meeting scientists and PhD students, her internship offered a remarkable glimpse into the scale and complexity of modern scientific discovery. 

“Standing inside the ATLAS detector — surrounded by tens of thousands of tonnes of engineering built to capture particles that exist for a fraction of a fraction of a second — I understood exactly why I want to build my future around science like this.”  

Iria C., Year 13 student

Beyond the science itself, Iria discovered the importance of international cooperation, resources and economic planning coming together to make groundbreaking research possible. This strengthened her ambition to study engineering alongside economics, combining her passion for scientific innovation with an understanding of how major discoveries are funded and sustained. 

Inspiring Futures, Creating Opportunities 

At St. Catherine’s, preparing students for life beyond school means giving them opportunities to explore, question and experience the world beyond the classroom. 

As we prepare this coming week to celebrate with our partner organisations our constantly expanding Experiential Learning Programme, spanning placements with local partners to research opportunities at international institutions such as CERN, Melissa  and Iria's experiences offer a wonderful reminder of why these opportunities matter: they connect classroom learning with real-world discovery, turning curiosity into inspiration and opening doors to possibilities students may never previously have imagined, empowering them to develop a deeper understanding of their interests and make more informed decisions about their university studies and future careers. 

Congratulations to Melissa and Iria for embracing this extraordinary opportunity! We look forward to seeing where their curiosity, determination and ambition take them next.