Lewis Jones

The right chemical combination

New graduate, 2023 Vice-Chancellor Scholar Lewis Jones, spent the best part of two years living at Mary White College during his Bachelor of Science studies.

“I’m from Broken Hill and both my parents are teachers, so I’m a nerd by birth and choice,” Lewis said with a laugh. “I’ve always been a science lover at heart. Chemistry is my field of choice because I love making things. It’s like cooking, or writing, or drawing. Taking the building blocks of something and turning them into something new; figuring out what makes it tick and how to build it better. It’s both tangible and exciting, my ideal science.

“I chose UNE because my dad vouched for it. That and the strong student experience ratings made it seem like a pretty good choice.

“Living on campus helped me a lot in my first couple of years. It gave me a few less things to worry about while I was adjusting to independence. And who can argue with five dinners a week?”

The semi-formal Mary White College Dungeons and Dragons gatherings soon became a fun place for Lewis to hang out.

“It was a nice place to unwind and enjoy the company of fellow nerds (definitely worth the occasional noise complaint). I would say the same for the UNE Games Society; the bigger society events always gave me something to look forward to.”

Not that Lewis neglected his studies. He was Dux at Mary White, got the Riggs Prize in Chemistry for Second and Third year, and earned the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar Award on graduation.

“It’s nice to have something to show for my hard work,” Lewis said.

“College life taught me how to find a routine that works for me and how to prioritise my mental health. Having the college support network definitely helped in this regard.”

As for the future, Lewis is “proud to have made it to the finish line in one piece” and looks forward to “hard work, a good job, and a happy life”.

“I’m moving to Brisbane and excited by the prospect of working in a lab and getting some experience under my belt,” he said. “But other than that? We’ll see where it takes me when I get there.”