Dr Alex Schnell

Hi, I'm Doctor Alex Schnell. I'm a marine biologist. I became really interested in marine science when I was at Randwick High School and that led me to study marine biology.

But what I was really fascinated in was not just the behaviour of marine animals, but their minds. So I really wanted to understand what was going on in their brains and the type of intellectual abilities that they had that would really drive those behaviours that we see.

I had a public school education, And I had one teacher in particular at Randwick that just believed in me. Having a teacher that believed in me just helped me strive to keep learning. Even now I feel like I am a lifelong learner.

Nathan – Randwick High School student

Meeting Doctor Alex, today was definitely an inspiration. She came from my school, and that really serves how far we can go, especially in public education. It's really an eye opener to try and reach for the stars.

Dr Alex Schnell

Science is a particular topic where it doesn't always give you all the answers. Often when you discover one thing, you come up with ten other questions that you want answered. But that desire to want to know more is what continues to inspire me in my own scientific career now.

Tyla – Randwick High School student

Meeting a Randwick High School alumni like Doctor Alex has inspired me that I can succeed as well in life if I try my hardest. And that I should continue learning throughout my life, no matter what the situation is, I should always find a way to learn about what’s happening around me.

Dr Alex Schnell

High school really offered a diversity of subjects in the science space. So I guess my biggest piece of advice is there isn't one pathway. Just say yes to different opportunities, because you never know what doors are going to open up from those opportunities.