 My name's Sam Askin and I'm a science and maths teacher at Thurand Gower State High School in Townsville. I'm Townsville born and bred. I've been here since day dot and still here because it's an awesome place to be. Outside of school I'm a horrible basketball fanatic, live it, dream it, breathe it. This is my first year teaching. I originally was a scientist working at JCU in biochemistry research. What I found over time was what I enjoyed more was actually engaging with other people and particularly students and younger people about what I loved about science and how big the science universe is out there. So ultimately I decided to get into science teaching so that I could continue to pass on what I love so much about science to future generations for them to love it too. Teaching's both different and the same to what I imagined it to be. It's very very intense but the reward that you get at the end of the day, seeing that moment where the idea or the concept just clicks in their mind there's nothing more rewarding than that in a career. I was awarded the Step Into Teaching Scholarship. That scholarship helped put me through university for the year. I have a family of three kids I have to support and there's obviously a lot of resources and support and development that's been available to me along the way to help get me prepared for the career that I'm going to be in now. You've got to be ready for a big jump but there's nothing more rewarding than to be able to pass on your knowledge to students and see them take that other places and see them extend on their own learning with what you've been able to teach as well worth it in the end.