The NYSF Year 12 Program was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far. Although it was entirely online (with, hopefully, some in-person events occurring throughout the year to make up for it), I still gained a wealth of knowledge and was able to meet and connect with so many like-minded people. Prior to the program, I was pretty set on what I wanted to do – I wanted to do a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, and through that figure out what I wanted to do career-wise (though I was pretty set on the idea of becoming a doctor).
On each day of the program, there were a number of lectures and activities to participate in. I heard from The University of Queensland’s Dr Peter Ellerton, who hosted a critical thinking workshop - I was able to learn about different thinking patterns, which was really interesting. The session with Dr Karl was another highlight – I’m still amazed at his ability to spit out facts about pretty much any topic. Some of the lectures were quite interactive – a forensics-based workshop by the University of Technology in Sydney required us to investigate a crime scene using what we learnt, and the UQ Integrated Pathology Centre showed off some of their amazing human specimens, which was really cool. I learnt about the Great Barrier Reef Legacy’s conservation efforts, and I am currently working on bringing their work to my school – hopefully, we will be hosting a coral fragment from the Great Barrier Reef at some point. Another highlight was the Nobel Laureate lectures, where I heard from Professor Peter Doherty, a renowned immunologist, and Professor Brian P. Schmidt, who’s part of the reason we know how old the universe is and that it’s continually expanding. As you can see, I had the opportunity to explore a range of different disciplines – I was absolutely spoilt for choice.
The program was also a great opportunity to meet and connect with kids my age who are also passionate about STEM. The Staffies (older students who had previously participated in the program) were amazing, and did a great job at hosting the sessions and organized social activities, which happened most nights. The enthusiasm they brought to the whole program was infectious – I’m seriously considering applying to become a Staffie next year. Every student was assigned to a constellation group, which met most nights – I still keep in touch with everyone in my group.
A big theme that was emphasized throughout the program was the importance of interdisciplinary studies - being able to apply multiple interests to your career, and working with people outside of your field. When I first started to think about this, I was scared – I had a very firm idea of what I thought I wanted to do, and wasn’t too keen on straying away from this. Through the program, I was able to broaden my horizons and realise that I can integrate some of my other interests into my career path. Right now, I’m not sure what I want to do in the end, but I would like to do a double degree focusing on science and politics. I am now interested in possibly pursuing chemical engineering (something I didn’t think was possible without physics, which I’m not fond of), or pharmaceuticals. Maybe I will end up in a field that doesn’t even exist yet… Either way, it’s safe to say that the program opened my eyes to the range of opportunities out there.
Participating in the NYSF Year 12 Program was truly life-changing; while I was not able to do any of the in-person activities, I still feel that it has had a great, positive impact on me and my future career path. I am forever grateful that I was able to participate in the program – a very big thank you to the Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary Club for endorsing me and for helping me along the way.
