Q and A with 2015 Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize winner Paige Bebee

  • Author(s)
    Vanessa Gardos
  • Category
    Science
  • Published
    18 April 2016
  • Read time
    2 minutes

Five minutes with 2015 Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize winner Paige Bebee

Paige won the secondary school category of the 2015 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize for her film The Secret of the Appendix. We caught up with Paige to hear her Eureka Prizes story and get some tips for students entering the prize this year.

Eureka Prizes: Tell us a bit about your Eureka Prizes experience.
Paige: It was one of the most nerve-racking and exciting things I've been a part of. I was a little bit overcome by meeting so many amazing scientists who've had such amazing careers, but overall it was totally inspiring.

Eureka Prizes: How did it feel when you were announced the winner?
Paige: I was so proud of my little film and my little sister who starred in it. I never thought it would get played in front of such a big and appreciative audience. It was so valuable to see the audience reactions and I'm still happy that people thought my film was able to explain something that people had wondered about.

Eureka Prizes: What has been the most surprising thing about being a Eureka Prize winner?
Paige: Ending up on the front page of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald the next morning, especially since I hadn't told my friends why I was missing school.

Eureka Prizes: How has the win impacted on your plans for the future?
Paige: It's certainly helped pad out my resume, and the prize money has meant I could buy some equipment I couldn't otherwise get.

Eureka Prizes: Do you have any tips for those entering the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prizes in 2016?
Paige: Explain an idea in an interesting way that will keep the audience’s attention, so at the end of the film they can have enjoyed learning something new. Most importantly you need a good idea. Don't be afraid to spend some extra time planning and preparing rather than jumping straight into production, so that at the end your film will end up shiny and polished.

Eureka Prizes: And finally…where do you keep your trophy?
Paige: It went straight to the pool room.

See Paige’s winning video here
For more information on the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize visit the website