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Hume students on the move

In this edition of Reflections, we meet Saatvik Sehgal (Year 12), one of our School Vice Captains.

‘Reflections’ is our online profile series which speaks to Senior students at Hume Anglican Grammar, asking them to look back on their time here at our school and also speak about what lies ahead in the future.

Tell us a little bit about your journey in Secondary school?
My journey at Hume Anglican Grammar has been a fantastic one and one that I have learnt tremendously from. From the beginning I was greatly involved in co-curricular programs as well as my academic pursuits. In the past I have signed up for inter-school sports including cricket and tennis and have also applied for leadership positions throughout the years. I was very fortunate this year to be selected as one of Hume Anglican Grammar’s School Vice Captains for 2023. By going through these years at Hume I have experienced a wide variety of study domains and have been able to pick what I love to do. From my time at Hume, I have learnt that I should give everything my best effort and not be afraid to explore new things.

What is your favourite subject and why?
My favourite subject is hard to choose but if I had to select out of a few then it would have to be one out of Mathematics, Physics or Engineering. What all these subjects share in common with each other is the aspect of problem-solving and using your prior knowledge or skills to tackle a new challenge and this is what I love about them.

What is your fondest memory so far at Hume Anglican Grammar?
It would have to be the annual talent shows that take place at Hume Anglican Grammar. You see students from across the year levels sharing and putting their talents on display. It is a great treat to not only watch the performances but to also see how the whole school supports and cheers on the performers.

How has your time at Hume Anglican Grammar influenced your future pathway decisions?
Since my teenage years I have been quite intrigued by technology and this curiosity is what let me to exploring the field of microcontrollers and electrical circuits. I saw online how people used microcontrollers and a handful of other components to create cool electronics projects. These projects posted online by people included things like automated doors that open as you walk by or automated plant watering systems. The interesting thing about these is that they do not require a huge budget and only a few components to get started. You could take inspiration from projects you found online to create your own projects that solved a problem or purpose that you wanted.

In Years 7 and 8 at Hume Anglican Grammar, I was exposed to technology subjects and in Year 8, we used our basic understanding of circuits to create a phone stand which lit up when a phone was placed on it. Since I had prior knowledge from outside of school about circuits and microcontrollers from surfing the internet, I used this knowledge to extend myself and create a phone holder that used ten LEDs to indicate the phone’s approximate charging level so that it could be seen from far away. One LED corresponded to 10% battery level, two LEDs to 20% battery level and so on.

Seeing my passion and intrigue for the technology subjects in Years 8 and 9, my technology teacher encouraged me to undertake VCE Year 11 Systems Engineering in Year 10 as an accelerated student. I ended up doing exactly that and only recently completed the written exam for that subject which concluded the two-year course. Undertaking Systems Engineering has shown me how we can use principles from the sciences and mathematics to solve problems, which is what I did for my final project in that subject. This process of solving a real-world problem has really captivated me, and through my exposure to the world of Engineering at Hume Anglican Grammar, I have discovered my future pathway.

What would you like to do or study once you graduate from Hume Anglican Grammar?
Once I graduate from Hume Anglican Grammar, I would like to pursue a career in an engineering discipline such as Mechatronics, which is focused on holistically solving problems by employing concepts from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. My dream project would be a project in the Space Industry as I love the idea of space exploration. In the near future, I am looking to undertake a Bachelor's Degree in Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at Monash University with the possibility of following that up with a Master's Degree in the same field.

Fast Four:

If your friends could describe you in one word, what would it be?
Ambitious.

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Elon Musk.

One thing you couldn’t live without?
It would have to be my phone because now days it is essentially your gateway to the rest of the world.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I can't go one day without listening to music.

Hume's Top Vice Captains Saatvik Sehgal