Aspiring aeronaut
Repairing all things mechanical as a boy has certainly benefited UQ Aspire Scholarship recipient Zachary Sizer in preparing for all studies mathematical as a man.
Now a High Distinction student enrolled in the Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Mathematics at UQ, Sizer is reaping the rewards of a rural upbringing that forced him to ‘think outside the square’.
Not that he had a choice.
“I grew up on a 7000-hectare cattle farm in South West Queensland, 90 kilometres from the nearest town of St George, and more than seven hours drive from Brisbane,” he said.
“Home to the immediate family, a few hundred Belmont Red [cattle] breeders, plus some lambs and dogs, we were quite isolated.
“We had to work with what we had and use our ingenuity to solve everyday problems – we couldn’t just wander down to the local hardware store for supplies whenever we needed them; we only visited town once a fortnight.
“I still remember my grandfather making an arc welder with a generator from a WWII plane because that’s all he had available at the time!”
Nor were Sizer and his parents strangers to creative solutions.
“My dad and I have worked on a long list of engineering projects over the years, including installing tanks and troughs for the animals; making a cattle crate for our truck so we could transport the stock; and modernising and extending a big shed for the tractors, which involved changing out the deteriorating timber structure for stronger metal beams – that was a huge job,” he said.
But it was all good experience for life off the farm. As one of only 13 students at Begonia State School (12 kilometres from home), Sizer did well in his studies, winning a scholarship to attend boarding school at Concordia Lutheran College in Toowoomba for his high school years.
With the help of an encouraging maths teacher, and exposure to the school’s new cutting-edge 3D printer, Sizer flourished academically while exploring his love of mathematics.
“I loved that 3D printer,” he said.
“Actually seeing maths come to life, turning around an object in your hand was so interesting. Some of my favourite objects to print were elliptical gears and a Klein bottle – I still have them at home.”
UQ student Zachary Sizer.
UQ student Zachary Sizer.
Zachary Sizer experimenting in UQ's aeronautical engineering workshop.
Zachary Sizer experimenting in UQ's aeronautical engineering workshop.
UQ student Zachary Sizer.
UQ student Zachary Sizer.
It was this fascination with practical mathematics that drew Sizer to study engineering at UQ. The combination of solving problems and creating something new was something he was very familiar with.
“I chose to study at UQ because it has a great reputation, offered the degree that I wanted, and I was still relatively close to friends and family.
“What I love about engineering is that there is always an answer to a problem and I enjoy learning about how things work.”
Sizer successfully applied for a UQ Aspire Scholarship, designed to provide assistance with the transition to tertiary study for students who have experienced financial hardship.
“I would like to thank the donors to this scholarship for this amazing opportunity – I am very thankful for their support. The scholarship has taken the pressure off financially, and has enabled me to focus entirely on my studies.”
Which is just as well. His aspirations to ‘soar’ in his studies are a fitting match for his specialty area of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
“Originally I was only going to do mechanical engineering, but then I became interested in what makes aircraft/spacecraft work. It seems to be an area of growth and Iooks to be pretty interesting,” he said.
Sizer would love a job one day with an aerospace company such as Boeing, but reckons he would enjoy working in any mechanical/aerospace job.
Maybe not at the farm though – only so many old aircraft can be re-engineered into useful pieces of farm machinery.
Learn more about mathematics and engineering at UQ; learn about UQ's range of scholarships, or help talented students reach their potential by supporting the Aspire scholarship program today.
