Science Teacher and House Coordinator (Finlay Anderson)
BSc (Hons) (Biochemistry with Cellular and Molecular Biology), PGSC (Secondary Education)

Sharon Chance brings a world of wonder to her students at Mentone Grammar. As a Science Teacher, she offers her vast industry experience, from researching great white sharks (and free diving with them!)  to working in a hospital as a Clinical Biochemist. As a mentor, she offers a worldly perspective, from living across three continents, travelling widely, speaking four languages and learning as a child how to rise against discrimination.   

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sharon is the youngest of five children. “I have a big family that all speak a range of different languages. Growing up, we all spoke a mixture of English, Afrikaans, Sotho and Zulu, which we would switch between mid-sentence. This caused quite a bit of confusion to anyone outside of the family!”

When Sharon and her family moved to the UK for four years, she experienced the isolation of feeling different to the other children. “I always had a distinct accent to my peers. Either South African in England or then English in South Africa, it made me an easy target for teasing.” From this experience, Sharon developed a resilience and adaptability beyond her years, and at the age of 18, moved to the UK on her own to attend a boarding school for international students. Sharon gained entry into a UK university and studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Science has always been in Sharon’s bones… and so was teaching, although she didn’t know it in her early days. “At school, I loved Biology. My teacher was amazing and made every lesson really enjoyable. After my degree, I took three months off to work in Cape Town researching great white sharks. When we would occasionally take tourists out, I would enthusiastically teach them about the sharks, seals and whales in the area. Potentially, this is where my love of teaching began, but I didn’t know that’s where my path would lead at the time.”

Back on dry land, Sharon landed a rewarding role as a Clinical Biochemist in a hospital, conducting cystic fibrosis tests for children and assisting the oncology team with pathology reports. After a couple of years, Sharon applied for her Master’s in Clinical Biochemistry. Following an instinct, she also applied for a postgraduate degree in education. “I was undecided which to choose, so I left it to fate. Whichever university got back to me first, I would pursue. As it happened, that was teaching – and the rest is history.”

Sharon’s first teaching role was at a girls’ grammar school in the UK. “The idea was always to return to the hospital, but I loved teaching so much that I never looked back. At one point, I had a group of students in A Level Biology that all wanted to go into medicine. At the end of the year, they collectively achieved the highest Biology grades in the UK. I was interviewed and we appeared in the newspaper. I felt so fortunate to work with such a dedicated group of students and witness them achieve their goals. That’s a highlight of my career.”

After relocating to Australia, Sharon spent 11 years teaching at a school in Elsternwick before joining the team at Mentone Grammar. “The school immediately felt like the right fit,” she says. “I’m so glad I made the move. The teaching staff here are incredibly supportive — we genuinely care about our students and each other.”

In 2023, Sharon joined the school’s USA STEM Tour, which she describes as a career highlight. “Visiting the Kennedy Space Center was incredible – the size of the buildings, especially those used to assemble rockets, was mind-blowing. Seeing the Atlantis space shuttle up close, with scorch marks from re-entry still visible, was unforgettable.”

Back at Mentone Grammar, Sharon loves teaching in the state-of-the-art VCE science labs, each dedicated to a specific discipline – Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. “The labs are spacious and well-equipped, allowing students to complete all the practicals they need,” she explains. “Teaching Science is so special because it combines theory with hands-on exploration. It’s amazing to watch students get curious, when they ask, ‘What happens if…?’ my response is always, ‘Let’s find out!’”

To this day, Sharon is still obsessed with sharks. “I would have a pet shark, like a James Bond villain, if I could. In the meantime, my three Selkirk Rex cats give me endless joy – they have curly fur and look like mini sheep!”

Sharon’s advice to students is to make the most of the wonderful learning experiences that the world has to offer. “Experience new places, try new things and be courageous.”

Written by Deborah Callahan