"Molo, igama lam nguJoseph kwaye ndinqwenela ukwabelana ngebali lam le-STEM,

Xa ndisemncinci, bendihlala ndinomdla kwinto eyenza izinto ziphawuleke, ndisenje ngoku. Ndandisoloko ndizibuza imibuzo efana nale “Yintoni eyenza amafu ashukume? Kutheni sinemini nobusuku? Ngawaphi loo machaphaza asesibhakabhakeni?” Kum, ihlabathi lalizaliswe ziimfihlelo endandisoloko ndifuna ukuziqonda. Noko ke, xa ndandisesikolweni ndandikufumanisa kunzima ukufunda isayensi. Ndafunda okuninzi ngoxa ndandisesikolweni, kodwa ndandivakalelwa kukuba inkoliso yemfundo yam yayipheleliselwe ekukhumbuleni izibakala nje kunokuba ndilinge ngeengcamango. Ukwenza imifuniselo kwakusoloko ndikuthanda kakhulu kuba ndandikuthanda ukuzama ukukhangela izinto kwaye ndiphonononge izinto, kodwa iziphumo zazihlala zisilela kuba sasisoloko siwenza umsebenzi wethu ngendlela ethile ukuze siqhubeke nesifundo. Ndandidla ngokuzibona ndisonwabela isayensi ndindedwa kunasesikolweni.

Amava am atshintsha xa ndifika kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo. Ebudeni besikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, ndathabatha izifundo kuba nje isithili sasifuna ezo zifundo. Uthando lwam ngesayensi esikolweni lwavuseleleka xa ndathatha iChemistry. Utitshala wam weChemistry wayesoloko ezama ukwenza izinto ezifanelekileyo, kwaye imifuniselo yakhe yayihlala igcwele ubuchule. Kusafuneka silandele iinkqubo kunye neenkcazo ezithile ngenxa yokulungiselela iimviwo ze-regents, kodwa wavumela ukulinga kwaye wasikhuthaza ukuba sidlale malunga nemifuniselo yethu (ngokukhuselekileyo kunjalo). Wayedla ngokuhlala ukuphuma kwesikolo ukuze asincedise kumsebenzi wethu, yaye wayesoloko evumela ixesha lokuzama ngakumbi kwiilebhu zethu. Iklasi yeKhemistri yandikhuthaza, kodwa ngokukhawuleza ndaqonda ukuba ukusebenza kwam kwizibalo kwakungaphantsi, ngenxa yokungabikho kwam inkuthazo yokuphucula ukusebenza kwam kumabanga aphantsi naphakathi. Ndisebenze kwizakhono zam zezibalo kunye notitshala wam wezibalo, kwaye ndaqala kancinci ukuphinda ndifumanise ukuthanda kwam izibalo ngeenkwenkwezi. Utitshala wam wayesoloko endikhuthaza kwaye endixelela ukuba amanqaku awabalulekanga kangako, ayilinganisi ukuthanda kwam isayensi. Ngeli xesha, ndandiqinisekile ukuba ndifuna ukuba sisazinzulu. Ndachaza indlela endifuna ngayo ukulandela isayensi kwikholeji kwaye utitshala wam wezibalo kunye nekhemistri wandikhuthaza ukuba ndiqhubeke ndizama ngamandla kwaye ndinyamezele.

Ndandingaqinisekanga ngento endandifuna ukuyenza xa ndandiqala ukufunda ekholejini, kwakukho iindlela ezininzi zokukhetha. Ndathatha izifundo zefiziksi, unjingalwazi kunye neentetho zandikhumbuza ngamava am kwiklasi yekhemistri. Wayenomdla kwaye wandikhuthaza ukuba ndifun’ ukwazi. Ndandihlala ndiyithanda i-astronomy, yayingathi ndihlala ndifumana intuthuzelo kwaye ndingowam, ndifuna ukufumanisa yonke into endinokuyifumana malunga ne-cosmos. Ngelo xesha, ndaye ndagqiba ekubeni ndenze iFiziksi, nokuba ndandiziva ndingafanelekanga ngenxa yezakhono zam zezibalo. Umdla wam kunye nomdla wam kwifiziksi kwandinceda ukuba ndinyamezele, kokukhona ndisiba nzima kokukhona ndiqala ukuxabisa nokuqonda ihlabathi elindingqongileyo. Ikhosi eyaqinisa uthando lwam kwisayensi yayiyiklasi yokufunda ezimeleyo endabhalisa kuyo. Ndandinoxanduva lokulinganisa iteleskopu ukuze ndenze umsebenzi wenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Yayingamava okufunda kum nakunjingalwazi wam. Ngobunye ubusuku, ndafumanisa indlela yokulinganisa iteleskopu ngokwenza olwam uphando kwaye ndakwazi ukuchonga iinkwenkwezi ezifunwa ngamehlo enyama. Iteleskopu yahlengahlengiswa ngempumelelo, nto leyo eyandivumela ukuba ndiyihlolisise ngokweenkcukacha inyanga yethu, ukongezelela kumnyele weAndromeda, umnyele oselumelwaneni wethu. Ngelo xesha, ndakwazi ukugqiba usukelo lwam lobuntwana lokusebenzisa iteleskopu. Ndothuswa kukubona intaphane yezinto zeenkwenkwezi endazibona ngobo busuku. Ukusukela ngoko, bendiziqhelanisa nezibalo kunye nefiziksi kwaye ndakhula kakhulu ebaleni. Amathuba amaninzi andivulekele, kwaye ndakwazi ukwabelana nabanye ngothando lwam. Ngoku ndingumfundisi, kwaye ndiyingcali yefiziksi, izinto endingazange ndicinge ukuba ndingazifumana ndisemncinci. Kukho isicatshulwa endisithathileyo sisithi "Awuyidingi isayensi, isayensi iyakudinga" kwaye ndiyifake engqondweni yam xa ndifundisa abafundi. Wonke umntu unokuyonwabela isayensi kwaye ndinqwenela ukwenza isayensi ibe mnandi njengoko utitshala wam wekhemistry wenza. Abavelisi bethu bexesha elizayo banokuba phambi kwethu, inokuba nguwe! musa ukuvumela imiqobo ikuthintele. Ukuba kukho into efundiswa ngendlela ekruqulayo, yenze ibe mnandi kuwe kwaye ugcine umlilo wakho uvutha! Enkosi ngokundivumela ukuba ndibelane ngebali lam le-STEM!"