Behind the CHScenes: Stitching Science & Speed – Mrs Kambites (CHS Technician)
Meet Mrs Kambites!
Mrs Kambites, a Science Technician here at CHS, joined us for our Behind the CHScenes series, where we chat to staff on-site during the Summer holidays who are often busy ensuring everything runs smoothly! Read what Kirsty gets up to outside of CHS and what a typical day in the labs is like…
How long have you been at CHS?
I started working at CHS in the Summer of 2019, but before that I worked as a copywriter, and going further back before I took a break to raise my children, I worked at the University of York as a research assistant on a project modelling soil ecosystems, and an IT Technician!
What do you get up to in your free time?
I run, so I usually start most days that way. My favourite type of running is trail running so I try and get out into the Peak District at the weekend. I also enjoy walking and cycling. I am attempting to learn to crochet and last winter actually managed to make a wearable hat – although it was rather more beret shaped than the beanie style is was supposed to be!
What are you most proud of?
This is quite a hard one as I’m not very good at blowing my own trumpet! I’m quite proud of how long I’ve been regularly running for, about 10 years now, as there’s some mornings when it’s definitely hard to get myself out of the door!
What’s an average day in the labs like?
One of the things I love about my job is that no two days are alike!
During the term my days are rather more structured as we need to set up equipment for the start of a lesson then tidy it away afterwards. The rest of the time tends to be used to prepare equipment for use in the next day or so and sometimes doing the experiments to make sure they’re going to work in class the way the teacher expects.
During the holidays we do a huge ‘spring clean’ ready for the start of term. The labs get tided up and a lot of the equipment needs to be tested. It’s also a time to fix broken equipment and to make new items. Today I have been checking our equipment for the ‘electricity’ topic. I have replaced around 60 batteries in battery packs and multimeters and tested hundreds of resistors! I still have a few more trays of other components to finish off then I will unpack and check some new equipment.
Any goals for the future?
I’m currently saving up to visit Iceland and would love to see the Northern Lights whilst I’m there!