Anneliese Rothe
Women of STEM Scholarship Winner
Award Date:
2026
STEM Interests
Currently studying a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours)
A Bit About Me
I grew up in regional New South Wales, surrounded by fields and rocky hills to climb and explore. I love asking questions about why things are the way they are, looking for patterns in the world and investigating things that no one had ever considered.
One of my earliest memories is planting trees along Burrangong creek with the local Girl Guide unit, since my mum was a leader at the time. My passion for giving back to the community and land that made me has only grown since then.
Questions and Answers
Tell us about someone who inspires you and why
How did you become interested in STEM?
What are you most looking forward to about studying STEM at university?
How will the Women of STEM Scholarship assist you?
It's hard to name just one person who inspires me, but I can offer equal credit to the various science teachers I've had over the years. I'm especially grateful to my Year 1 teacher, Mrs Calvert, who is the coolest person ever for going out of her way to run a RoboGals science program, of which I was the youngest member at the time.
Thanks to her, science has never been "a man's field" in my mind. The independence I discovered in doing my own research project sparked a joy in learning that has only increased exponentially since then.
I think it began from designing elaborate buildings out of Duplo with the most efficient brick pattern, or maybe it was my fascination with magnets that seemed to defy gravity. Whatever the source, my curiosity only grew from there and learning about the scientific method inspired me to conduct my own experiments about rocks, water, light, anything.
School excursions to various ecosystems secured my interest in ecology, mainly because I adore the beauty and diverse biomes throughout the world, how each one has something unique to offer and is worthy of research and protection.
I'm most excited to go on more field trips to different places and collaborate with people who care about this planet as much as I do. Getting to do long-term experiments and in-person fieldwork is something I've wanted to for ages but haven't really been able to until now.
I'm also really looking forward to using high-level scientific measuring instruments in later years and doing cool research no one's ever done before in my eventual honour's year and hopefully beyond!
The Women of STEM Scholarship gives me the financial freedom and security to focus on my studies while at university, enabling me to deepen my studies and participate in field trips I couldn't otherwise afford. I eagerly look forward to the connections I make throughout my university career, and this scholarship enables me to expand my network of science friends globally, which may hopefully include participating in programs such as a possible semester exchange later in my degree.
This scholarship supports me financially, enabling me to continue taking part extracurricular activities such as Girl Guides while I study, which support my life and mental health through providing connections outside those made in the classroom.
What job do you hope to pursue after graduating from university?
If I can make a career out of lifelong learning, that would be a dream job! I think research and tertiary education would be super cool but so would science communication or working in industry. There are so many aspects of science that I find fascinating that I genuinely would not mind where I end up, although my focus on the environment and wanting to improve quality of life globally leads me towards something in the environmental science sector, maybe something in governance so I can directly influence the laws that get made to ensure that they have future generations in mind.
