Shona Cameron
Shona Cameron sits on the national Banksia Foundation Sustainability Award judging panel, has managed safety at 25 airports and freight facilities across the country, is a mentor in the STEM Industry Mentoring program, and is also taking on a Master of Engineering. How does this young Science leader do it all?
Scientists Share: A morning chat with Shona Cameron
Early one morning in April, we interviewed Bachelor of Science alum Shona Cameron via Zoom. Below are some excerpts from that chat.
Some top tips from Shona
- I highly recommend people get in a bike ride or some sort of movement before they start their day!
- You need to constantly reinvent yourself, because the road in Science is never linear.
- Be agile, adaptable, opportunistic and positive.
- There are winners and losers in all things that happen. To make ourselves the winners, we’ve got to adapt.
On exercising for wellbeing
Exercise is very important to me for health and wellbeing.
I know that I can respond better to challenges throughout the day if I’ve had that morning exercise.
I have spent a lot of time commuting to work by bike, and I’ve found that if I ride to work, I can cope with the stresses and I’m a much nicer person than if I roll up without adequate movement in the morning. I highly recommend people get in a bike ride or some sort of movement before they start their day.
I’m the host of a women’s tennis night, which was initially funded by VicHealth as part of the This Girl Can campaign to promote women in sport.
Traditionally it’s not been accepted for women to work up a sweat. The This Girl Can campaign is to encourage women to enjoy having a health and wellbeing life. So every Thursday we get together and have a good time at the tennis club. It’s been a big part of my life socially.
On resilience and reinvention
You need to constantly be reinventing yourself, being agile, adaptable, opportunistic, positive. The road isn’t linear. That’s the key takeaway.
What I’d say to any mentee is, you have to continue to adapt yourself to the market. You’ve got to keep changing and being flexible to different restraints that you’re faced with.
I’m faced with that at the moment. There’s winners and losers in all things that happen. We’ve got to make ourselves the winners, and we’ve got to adapt.
I wanted to come back to the University of Melbourne this year to up the game with the Master of Engineering in Change Management. I’m enjoying the networking and learning about new concepts. It’s good to be back in the academic life.
I’m excited to change the world.
I can’t sit still for too long. There’s so many opportunities for us to be lifting the game and bringing our best to make the world a better place.
Shona’s recommended reading during isolation
- How Remarkable Women Lead by Joanna Barsh: There is a great chapter on Margaret Jackson, when she was the chair of Qantas, and how she overcame a lot of challenges that we do face, still, in these industries.
- The Dangers of Truffle Hunting by Sunni Overend
- Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Four Months to a Four-Hour Marathon by Dave Kuehl: This was a gift from my sister, and it’s my fallback plan while social tennis isn’t an option!