For Kuching-born Anisha Praveen, Shell NXplorers was a life-changing opportunity.
Shell NXplorers sparked her interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and interest in helping the community.
“It's something that no other programme could offer. The programme changed the way I view things, the way I communicate with people or get my point across.
"All of these wouldn't have been possible without Shell NXplorers. I doubt I would have gotten the Shell scholarship if it weren't for this programme,” she said.
‘The Shell NXplorers programme changed the way I view things, the way I communicate with people or get my point across,’ Anisha shares.
It all started when Anisha joined Shell NXplorers in 2017 when she was in Form One.
“I was raised mostly in Miri, Sarawak and went to school at SMK Lutong, Miri.
“My school offered the programme to 15 students in my batch. I think because we were the first batch from my school, and I grabbed that opportunity when I chanced upon it.
“My teammates and I were just a couple of 13-year-olds new to the world of STEM. We only had maths and Science subjects in school.
“But once we started with Shell NXplorers, it taught us about coding, it taught us about 3D modelling, app building, and more; it opened our eyes to a whole new world that we've never seen before,” she said.
Anisha, who is a Shell scholar, plans to pursue mechanical engineering, preferably in the US.
“The Shell scholarship is two tiered; the first part comprising A-levels, and the next, a sponsorship from Shell to study abroad for four years.
Well-rounded
What Anisha learned through Shell NXplorers was beyond academics and product development.
“This programme taught me so much, not just the technical aspects of things, but also a lot about soft skills, teamwork, confidence, time management.
“I also joined sports and debate but I don't think there were any other activities in school that had the same impact as Shell NXplorers, in terms of developing my soft skills.
“Honestly, there is no other programme that has taught me so much about myself, how to be a responsible person and a well-rounded person,” she said,
Using the skills that she learned via Shell NXplorers led her to join other innovation competitions. “Aside from teaching me all these soft skills, this programme has led me to explore the world of STEM and it was such a fun experience.”
“My experience from this programme has motivated me to always try and fix a problem myself before asking others. It made me think about how I can solve this problem, how I can make it more practical or how I can make a product better.
“Having this mindset changes your perspective on everything.
Anisha’s team project Chillax came out tops in Shell NXplorers 2020.
Passionate mentors
Anisha and her team came up with Chillax, a sustainable cooling system for the Shell NXplorers challenge.
Feedback from Shell mentors pushed Anisha and her teammates out of their comfort zone and made them make changes to their project, that eventually enabled them to emerge as the national winners of Shell NXplorers in 2020.
“The Shell mentors, aside from giving us feedback have been amazing role models to me.
“Meeting these experienced employees in Shell has opened up my eyes to the world of STEM. It was such an interesting opportunity for us because as secondary school students, we didn't have that much exposure to the working world.”
Shell NXplorers mentor Ahmad Fauzi Masrom, who is part of Shell’s information digital technology team, is a passionate advocate of driving positive change in various domains.
Shell NXplorers mentor Ahmad Fauzi Masrom, is a dedicated mentor and a passionate advocate for driving positive change in various domains.
He is part of Shell’s Information Digital Technology team.
He comes from a family of educators and his wife is also running a kindergarten.
Hence, it comes as no surprise that he has a passion to mentor school students.
“My mission is to make a profound impact not only in my career but also in the lives of those I have the privilege to mentor.
“I find mentoring fulfilling because I believe that by mentoring, I can share my knowledge and experience and empower students to reach their potential.
“Well one thing when I mentor is that I never discount anything from what the students are bringing in, as that shows creativity. We in Shell NXplorers not only look into STEM studies, but also analytical thinking, critical thinking and design thinking,” he said.
A student making a presentation before mentor Ahmad Fauzi in the Shell NXplorers programme.
Fauzi believes that Shell NXplorers brings value to students and helps uplift communities.
“This programme gives us, Shell staff an opportunity to bring forward what we know, my experience as a Shell staff, what we deal with in our day-to-day work and share it with school children.
“We help students harness their potential in terms of learning STEM and giving them an opportunity for them to move forward and hopefully become the young leaders of tomorrow.
“Being a mentor has helped me progress as a professional as well. So don't be afraid of STEM. Shell NXplorers offers you the opportunity to be creative, and we are here to help.”
Giving back to the student community
Having benefited from Shell NXplorers, Anisha ended up volunteering with the programme and went to schools that are now part of Shell NXplorers in Miri.
“It was very touching to see the programme still going on and doing better than before.
“It gave me an opportunity to help those who are experiencing the same thing I did and I’m grateful for that.
“I met with students who are completely new to the programme. Knowing what I know now and sharing with them my experiences, it was such a very heartfelt moment,” she said.
Anisha urged secondary school students who are keen in STEM to make use of this opportunity to the fullest.
“If you have the opportunity to join Shell NXplorers, please do. There's no other learning experience that is more valuable because it makes you a well-rounded person.
“It doesn't just teach you about STEM. Even if you don't have an interest in STEM, Shell NXplorers is still the programme for you because it teaches creative thinking as well. I was able to express my creativity when I was in high school because this programme allowed me to think about innovative ways to solve issues.”
Her advice to students who are currently in Shell NXplorers: “I really just think they need to properly use this opportunity to explore every part of what you're learning right now because the NXThinking tools can be applied everywhere.
“The best thing about Shell NXplorers is that it doesn't just teach you how to win competitions and how to create the best project, it teaches you about real world skills that you need to have in order to be a successful person in the future.”
Info from https://www.shell.com.my/sustainability/communities/shell-stem-programme.html:
Shell is a passionate supporter of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and seeks to enthuse, empower and equip future generations. Our goal is to grow and build the capacity of the next generation of thinkers, innovators and leaders with the STEM skills and knowledge needed to address greater energy demand. Shell NXplorers, an innovative educational programme that introduces young people to the complex and creative thinking needed to bring about positive change.
