Jason and his teammates at the Shell NXplorers programme in 2019.
Shell NXplorers continues to help young ones discover a new world with STEM
For aspiring mechanical engineer Jason Chong Min Jun, 19, from Sandakan, Sabah, Shell NXplorers provided a rewarding experience that further fuelled his passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“I have been actively involved for five years. Four years as a participant and one as a student advisor for my school’s team,” he said.
Jason is a student who enjoys working with circuit boards to solve complex mechanical designs.
Consequently, the unique hands-on learning experience from the programme has further captivated his interest in STEM.
This programme serves as a platform to encourage students to develop innovations and ideas that address specific problems related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It combines the latest technological learning tools such as the Arduino platform and Android application as well as other designing tools to nurture young innovators while fostering awareness among them on global and societal issues.
Jason and his team working on their invention ‘Fudex’ for the Shell NXplorers programme.
“The ideas and thinking methods that Shell NXplorers introduced to me were valuable and fuelled my passion to continue in STEM,” said Jason.
“I would say, Shell NXplorers had an everlasting impression on me and led me to pursue my studies and future career in this field,” he added.
Jason was in disbelief when he received news of his acceptance as a Shell scholar and he remains in awe of it to this day.
“I come from a small town in Sabah. So, the idea of me getting this scholarship has never crossed my mind due to the limited number of opportunities my town has to offer,” he said.
With the extensive knowledge gained from this programme, Jason hopes to complete his mechanical engineering course abroad.
Driven by purpose
As he participated in the programme, Jason understood the necessity of driving change and utilising the knowledge gained in real-world scenarios.
In 2019, together with his team, they focused their invention on highlighting the issues of farmers harvesting crops inefficiently in Sabah.
“Sabah relies heavily on agriculture and we noticed oftentimes intensive farming heavily relies on non-renewable energy to harvest crops. However, this is not an energy-saving method.
“To mitigate this issue, we invented a vegetable harvesting robot controlled by a mobile app, ‘Fudex’ to pick up simple crops like onions and place them in designated baskets,” he shared.
Balancing different skills
Besides the objectives of honing critical thinking and technical skills among participants, Shell NXplorers have provided these school children with a glimpse of the working world through this programme.
Jason recalls the team disagreements that would occur and shares that these experiences have taught him to manage conflicts.
“Once we reached common ground, my teammates and I spent countless hours toiling away after school, fixing and designing our solutions.
“Through this experience, I learnt that such moments are important in helping me refine my leadership skills and improve my ability to communicate effectively.
“I must say that working in a team was very rewarding in itself.
“I emerged from the programme as an individual with a much better understanding of how to lead a team,” he said.
Jason’s experience in this programme has inspired him to establish and run his own non-governmental organisation (NGO), Sabah Student Movement.
It is a student-led organisation that helps other Sabahan teenagers make more informed decisions relating to future careers and tertiary education through testimonies.
Inspiring mentors
Participants have a great opportunity to broaden their learning capabilities and gain insights from passionate and experienced Shell employees who volunteer as mentors in this programme.
Such dedication to help students and enthusiasm for the next generation are exemplified in Shell’s human resource people insights operation analyst Anie Fasa Mustaffa.
“This is my third year of being a mentor for Shell NXplorers. I wanted to share the knowledge that I have with these young people, motivating, guiding and inspiring students with leadership insights in addition to their STEM knowledge.”
Anie hopes her mentoring contribution has positively impacted the development of both hard and soft skills, enhancing their confidence overall.
Anie (seated third from the left), who has been a Shell NXplorer mentor for three years, finds joy in motivating and inspiring students.
“When I saw my students putting great effort into presenting their prototypes and confidently delivering presentations, I certainly felt like a proud parent,” she said.
Addressing misconceptions
According to Jason, many students who have access to STEM programmes may not be interested in pursuing it at higher education due to the perceived difficulty of the subjects.
He emphasised that common learning behaviours like memorising through repetition and passive learning in schools are among the reasons why students would opt out of STEM.
”It is a challenge to get students to be interested in STEM due to misconceptions that it is too difficult,” reiterated Anie.
For someone as passionate about STEM as Jason, the importance of STEM education cannot be overstated.
“I believe that STEM education is the key to providing new solutions, creating new ideas and solving technical problems systematically,” he said.
“It is what accelerates your personal growth and drives you into a challenge.”
Anie encourages all students to approach STEM with an open mind and to participate in this programme for a better understanding of STEM learning.
To her, this will prepare them to adapt and embrace the ever-evolving landscape of tomorrow.
The Shell NXplorers programme has introduced critical ways of thinking to empower young people to address the complex challenges faced by the world today.
Through this initiative, Shells hopes to pave the way for future leaders who are ready to make meaningful contributions to society.
