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A keen outdoorsman with a passion for the earth - Michael Bollen '09
Wednesday, 12 September 2018
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The masters at Auckland Grammar School are some of the best in their field, teaching their chosen subjects with a passion for seeing students succeed - and this desire for teaching and learning is something Michael Bollen '09 is thankful for. "I was fortunate enough to have some incredible teachers, without whom I never would have ended up where I am now. "These masters were actively interested in what they were teaching, and were great at conveying information in a way I could understand and get excited about. They taught me how to work hard when it was required, but kept the learning environment lighthearted and engaging." Known as a 'confident and witty student, with a determined and focused attitude', Michael - originally from Whangarei - boarded at Tibbs House for his five years at Grammar, where two hours of prep each night and in-house tutors helped him thrive. "Being based at Tibbs meant the experience was not only academic, but rather incorporated into every aspect of my life." Studying subjects such as Geography, Biology and Mathematics gave Michael the flexibility for various tertiary pathways, as he had a love for the outdoors and understanding how the earth worked. He moved down to the University of Otago and completed his Bachelor of Science degree, with a double major in Geology and Oceanography. However, one degree wasn't enough and Michael is now in his second year of his Master of Science degree, working on his own research project. "I am aiming to reconstruct past ocean conditions of the Ross Sea in Antarctica using sediment records formed millions of years ago, which were obtained by the Korea Polar Research Institute." As part of this research, Michael joined a group of adventurers and spent 80 days travelling around the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean on the Nathaniel B. Palmer, an ice-capable research ship, recording data - a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but with this experience came some harsh realities. "We worked 14-16 hours every day - any spare time we did have was spent either eating, sleeping to get the energy to continue, or at the gym to keep up our fitness - a tough ask on a 94 x 18m boat!" Michael's objectives on the 'cruise' included collecting different water samples and analysing different forms of diatoms, in order to determine how climate change has affected ocean circulation and conditions in the past. "Once you learn to understand what the data tells you, it is possible to read the cores like a book, literally turning page by page, telling us the history of the earth in this location." Michael is a keen outdoorsman, with interests in skiing, white-water kayaking and surfing. Although he hopes to finish up his Masters degree in the next year - and possibly move on to his PhD - being able to balance these sports with his academic studies is something that is important to him; finding that work/life balance. "I can still do my best in academics, while pursuing those outdoor activities and adventures which have always been such a big part of my life. It's essential to find the ideal balance between work and play, and do both as well as you can." A proud Grammar Old Boy through and through, Michael will always be thankful for the time he spent at the School. "Grammar was fantastic for me to get the best out of myself academically during my high school years. To be a part of such an active network of old boys is fantastic, especially knowing that I have friends in almost every corner of the globe to call on if the need arises."  The Nathaniel B. Palmer, the ship Michael was on for almost three months  Pensive thinking on the ice  A world full of ice in Antarctica  The team on board the Nathaniel B. Palmer, including Michael (seated, far left) |