Science wing assistant Namrata Shah helps teachers with lab equipment and with lesson plans that need more than one person. Ever since she began working at Cupertino High School in 2021, her work has made it possible for all science students to have safe and properly conducted experiments.

Science has always played a huge role in Shah’s life and as a lab assistant, she aims to do all in her power to make science more available to other students and ignite the same love for science she had in her childhood. 

“I have always loved science as a kid. […] It was my favorite subject from as long as I could remember,” Shah said. “All the tools, the classes were so refreshing and exciting, that coming back is nostalgic and I can feel the same pull of curiosity again.” 

Shah first joined Tino after the pandemic, isolation in quarantine having interfered with her ability to interact with people. Said Shah, “I came in hopes mostly of getting to feel like a person again, especially with students, feel like I was making an effort to participate in the world around me.” Her day to day life mainly includes arranging lab equipment, helping with assignments and organizing labs for students. 

Shah enjoys campus life at Tino, mainly lunches with teacher assistants in the science wing. Said Shah, “My peers put the color in every day, and spending time with them is always so refreshing and welcoming. The staff at Tino never makes me feel left out, and I feel like part of a community while having laughs over lunchtime every day.” 

A key motivator, she states, is knowing there are people who look forward to seeing you everyday. “It makes me feel like part of something bigger than how small assisting may seem,” Shah said. “[…] It’s very validating.” 

Shah most enjoys the opportunity to interact with others on Tino’s campus through her work as a lab assistant. Said Shah,  “I truly believe that the experience is not the place, but the people.”