Three Year 12 students from Roseville College in Sydney were sponsored by local Rotary Clubs to attend the Year 12 Program of the 36th National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in Canberra in January 2019.
Through their broad exposure to STEAM studies at Roseville College, Summer Workman, Amy Psaltis and Madeline Carmody were inspired to apply for the NYSF by the College Careers Program to explore STEAM career opportunities.
Summer, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Chatswood, has been leaning towards applying to study chemical-engineering at university and says the NYSF has helped her consider other possible pathways in the sector. She found the NYSF an inspiring, life-changing program, which introduced her to industry mentors including one of Australia’s few Nobel Prize winners, Dr Brian Schmidt, winner of 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, who was appointed Vice-Chancellor of ANU in January 2016.
“I knew I wanted to work in a science-related industry,” says Amy, who was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lane Cove. “The NYSF has helped me realise the breadth of my interest in STEAM careers and I am now considering quantum physics. I am really thankful for the opportunity.”
Madeline agreed that while she knew she liked the sciences, she wasn’t confident she had a complete grasp on the types of jobs available to her after university. She is now looking at engineering with a fresh perspective, and is interested in continuing to explore fields that fall within her interests in physics, chemistry and medicine.
The NYSF Year 12 Program is a 12-day residential program designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to encourage continued studies in these fields.
Over two weeks each January, successful applicants reside in Canberra to visit science and technology related laboratories and facilities, attend site tours and lectures, and participate in workshops and group activities, while networking with like-minded students at social events.
The NYSF program offers three intakes for its Year 12 program in 2020, with two in Canberra and one in Queensland. For information, please click here.