A Conversation With... Miss Sarah Kenyon

In this week's 'A Conversation With...' we chat to Miss Sarah Kenyon! Miss Kenyon is one of our science teachers and has been with us since the start of the 2023/2024 academic year. In this feature, we learn about how a trip to The Gambia inspired her to pursue a career in education, as well as why it is important to inspire girls to pursue a career in STEM fields.

What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake?  

I am a Teacher of Science and am also an Assistant Rowing Coach. I joined Shiplake College at the start of the 2023/2024 academic year. 

What were you doing before working at Shiplake?  

I have been teaching for a number of years now but before working at Shiplake, I taught at The Oratory School. 

What is a day in the life like for you at the College?  

On most days, I arrive at school by 7.45am to remind myself what I am teaching that morning and to set up any experiments I might need. I will then teach biology, chemistry or physics throughout the morning. During lunchtimes, I can be found on duty in Lower School, in a clinic, or sometimes playing netball as we prepare to play the annual staff vs Year 13 match!  

After a couple more lessons in the afternoon, I usually head to the Boat House in order to coach the senior girls although with all the flooding at the moment, we are usually heading off to other locations where we can get the most time on the water! However, it must be said that the joy of teaching is that every day is different! 

What inspired you to pursue a career in science and in teaching?  

I have always loved science. I have an inquisitive brain and like to understand how things work. When I was younger, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do so I took a gap year after my degree. I visited a school in The Gambia which had been set up by a friend's charity and we spent some time with the children who were so full of life and keen to learn. This played a big part in helping me decide that teaching was the career for me. 

It was recently International Day of Women and Girls in Science; how important is it to inspire girls to pursue a career in science?  

A lot of progress has been made in recent years but there are still significant gender gaps at all levels in STEM disciplines worldwide. As teachers, we are often some of the first 'women in science' that young girls come into contact with. As such, we have the ability (and responsibility) to show the girls how rewarding studying STEM subjects can be. Breaking down barriers and sharing a subject I love is a privilege and I hope things continue to change to make science more accessible for all. 

What do you do in your spare time?  

I play netball for Henley Hawks, and we train a couple of times a week and play in a local league. Around this, I also like to run, and I am a bit of a fair-weather cyclist! I have also set myself a reading goal this year to encourage myself to switch off from technology. In the holidays, I like to travel as much as I can and am slowly ticking off a bucket list of travel destinations. I took a train around Europe last year and I am still deciding on my next location; Sri Lanka is currently in the lead! 

What does the future hold for Miss Kenyon?  

You never really know what the future has in store! I am currently happy settling into life here at Shiplake and am enjoying getting stuck in both inside and outside of the classroom.