Natalie Lamb

You don't have to be the most, to go to uni. That was the message I wanted to get across. You don't have to be the most clever one, who always gets the answers right. You don't have to be the most decisive one, who has mapped out their entire life. And you definitely don't have to be the wealthiest one. That was my motivation for joining The Brilliant Club. I wanted to show pupils that, yes, I'm a PhD researcher, an expert in my field but I'm also just a normal person who eats too much pizza, watches too much Netflix and hates doing the washing up. What I got from the experience, however, was a lot more than I expected.

The thing that amazed me about my pupils was how quickly they absorbed information. On week one we discussed ways in which water is wasted, for example people leaving the tap running while brushing their teeth. By week four we were having a full-blown debate on whether lead presence at the customer tap should be the responsibility of water utilities or homeowners, whether orthophosphoric acid, used to prevent the leaching of lead pipes, should be in use or not. This is a question being asked in international conferences today. In just a few weeks, these pupils have this level of knowledge. These pupils, sometimes as young as 13, are questioning the future sustainability of the use of chemicals to treat drinking water. 

I feel incredibly lucky to be completing my PhD at The University of Sheffield. The Brilliant Club is a way of me trying to give back to this community. I'm trying to use my knowledge of university to increase the likelihood of others applying to go. I'm also using it as a chance to engage with the public, educate people about the effort that goes into treating drinking water and encourage them to turn off that tap while they brush. And they're educating me too. Young people should not be underestimated. Yes, they can't get in and watch the latest horror film but, give them half a chance, and they can discuss trihalomethanes better than most adults! Who knows, maybe my pupils will come up with a point I haven’t thought of and it’ll end up in my thesis? Either way, I’m very grateful for my time with The Brilliant Club and would actively encourage others to join up and give it a go too.