From Bahamas to Sunderland: World-renowned shark expert inspires students at Consilium Evolve
Consilium Evolve recently welcomed the incredible Cristina Zenato, a world-renowned shark behaviourist from the Bahamas, for an online Q&A session. That isn’t something you can celebrate often!
Cristina, famous for her fearless work removing fishing hooks from sharks, shared her fascinating and unconventional career path, emphasising the crucial importance of overcoming fear to seize new opportunities.
What a truly inspiring initiative from this specialist alternative provision school in Sunderland! We’re always thrilled to hear about innovative approaches to engaging students and broadening their horizons.
Powerful insights on how to conquer fear
This online session marks the launch of a fantastic new series designed to inspire students facing emotional and social school avoidance issues. The goal of these live discussions is to help students explore a wealth of career possibilities, showing them that no matter their personal challenges, they truly can achieve great things and make their dreams a reality.
The series was inspired by National Careers Week, and Cristina Zenato was the perfect first speaker. She captivated students with tales of her work as an ocean and cave explorer, shark behaviourist, and conservationist, offering powerful insights on how to conquer fear.
Ms. Zenato explained how fear can be both a powerful and limiting force. She discussed that when managed properly, fear helps us survive, but when it dominates our thoughts and actions, it prevents us from living the life we’re meant to live.
She brilliantly highlighted how fear often holds us back, then flipped it on its head to say: “But what if we used fear as a source of motivation instead? What if we let it propel us forward rather than paralyze us?”
We must break free from limitations
Robert Bell, Head Teacher at Evolve and the mastermind behind this wonderful series, explained his vision: “At Evolve, we want our students to see that the world is their oyster. No matter how unconventional their journey may seem, there is an entire ocean of possibilities out there.
“Cristina’s story is a perfect example of how facing challenges head-on and pushing past fear can open doors to incredible achievements.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, added, “It’s fantastic to see schools like Consilium Evolve thinking so creatively to inspire their students.
“Providing access to diverse and unconventional career paths, and powerful stories of resilience, is invaluable for helping young people understand their potential and build confidence for their future.”
The Q&A series will continue throughout the year, featuring more remarkable individuals who have carved out their own unique paths to success. By bringing these inspiring voices into the classroom, whether in person or virtually, Evolve is truly helping students break free from limitations.
We look forward to watching this incredible journey progress.
Consilium Evolve is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.
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