Simon Crawshaw
Heritage Intern: Summer 2001
I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and have lived
there for most of my life, with the exception of
a couple of years, when I lived in Boston, U.S.A.
After completing my A-levels in Maths, Physics and
Biology, I spent a year abroad teaching cricket,
rugby, music and science at The Scots College in
Sydney, Australia. On my return I started an M.Sci
degree in Astrophysics at the University of St.
Andrews in Fife, Scotland. I am currently in my
fourth and final year, following which I hope to
travel and then hopefully continue to study for
a Ph.D.
Unlike most other people who study Astronomy, it
was not the most natural choice for me. Ever since
I was young I had always wanted to be a paleontologist,
or a fireman. However, during my final years of
high school, the role of Physics in the natural
world began to fascinate me more and more. This,
combined with a curiosity in Philosophy, is what
attracted me to Astronomy. I found that metaphysical
questions such as "When and how did it all
start" and "Why are we here", which
always bothered me when I was young, could maybe
not be answered, but at least better understood,
by studying the way the Universe worked. By searching
and studying the Universe, it really does put everything
else into perspective.
My other interests are drama, music and sport.
I have been a member of productions such as "Grease",
"The Pirates of Penzance" and "Hamlet",
having also performed in the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe. I play the French horn and am self-taught
on the trumpet. At university I play rugby and cricket,
however I enjoy playing any sport, playing my first
full game of baseball whilst in the States during
the summer of 2000. I also really enjoy traveling,
although I find it more rewarding to travel on foot
rather than by plane. Last year I back-packed across
the States, following a summer spent teaching on
a summer camp in New Hampshire. I have also traveled
around Australia and visited Turkey, Israel, Egypt,
Cyprus, Rhodes, Athens, France, Portugal, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Bali and Canada. Next year I plan to
cycle around India for a few months.
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