Today we are featuring one of our dedicated volunteers, Brian Hamilton! Brian started volunteering with us in 2017 and has been supporting us ever since. This is Brian’s second spotlight on our blog because his dedication to our work has meant so much to us over the years. Brian is a great asset to Saturday Academy and is always willing to assist the staff with various tasks throughout the year.
We interviewed Brian on his background and what drew him to volunteer with Saturday Academy.
Question: How long have you been volunteering for Saturday Academy?
Brian Hamilton: I’ve been volunteering for Saturday Academy since 2017, so 4.5 years. Onsite volunteering ended March 12, 2020, with the University of Portland lockdown.
Question: What is your background? (e.g. do you come from a STEM field background?) Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Brian Hamilton: My background is in science, I’m an electrical engineer, and I love the idea of training future scientists!
Question: What drew you to volunteer with Saturday Academy? How did you first hear about Saturday Academy?
Brian Hamilton: I first heard about Saturday Academy when a friend of mine, Barbara Miner, started organizing GET. She had my daughters in some of the first focus groups. In 2016, I stopped volunteering at OMSI and was looking for another science education venue.
Question: What makes you keep coming back to volunteer with Saturday Academy? What makes the experience worthwhile?
Brian Hamilton: I love helping to train future scientists, and the experience is worthwhile when I complete a step in a project or when I see the “aha” look in a child’s eyes!
Thank you, Brian, for supporting Saturday Academy's mission! You can read Brian's previous volunteer spotlight here.
We are gracious to our volunteers for everything they do! If you're interested in volunteering with Saturday Academy, visit this page on our website for more details.