Hannah’s Report 2017

At 2:30am on the 16th of January I boarded a bus full of wonderful, excited strangers and started the trek towards what would be a life-changing experience. It was on this journey that I met my, now, best friend and experienced bursts of 20 minute napping and intense card games. We stopped in Coonabarabran and Cowra where we were welcomed both times by incredible Rotarians who provided us with delicious food and talked to us about our aspirations. The gratitude that I have for Inverell East Rotary and all of those who contributed to NYSF (both in my session and session A) is above and beyond words – none of it would have been possible without such as selfless, caregiving organisation. After leaving Cowra, we were en route to Canberra! This is where the chanting started. Three staffies and a bus full of tired, exhausted students began learning and regurgitating every chant in the book until we arrived at Burgmann College, ANU. We departed the bus to a human tunnel of hundreds of the best individuals I have ever met, and that over the course of the two weeks, would become some of my closest friends. We then sat down on Burgey lawn for an introduction session to learn about what was in store for us for the rest of our time in Canberra and to meet the crazy, fun-filled staffies that were befriending and looking after us. It was here we had the pleasure of meeting Damien, the CEO of NYSF (to whom we all owe a heartfelt thank you) and the lovely Madeline and Amanda, and their teams (who all worked tirelessly to make the experience a possibility to us all). After this meeting, the 196 of us began to get to know each other, which was a blast. The connection people form when chanting together is unreal. However, the environment was only one factor in the ease of communication, the incredible feeling you get when connecting with someone so like-minded that you finish each other’s sentences, was the other. I had never met a group of individuals more passionate, more enthusiastic or more amazing than those I met at NYSF. I have now formed a network of friends that I am certain I will remain connected with, in some way, throughout my life. There is just no way of describing how incredible that feeling is. At this moment, we learnt about the importance of the piece of rope hanging around our necks, our wouch (wallet pouch)! This wouch was the pinnacle of your existence at the NYSF. Students learnt to love it and staffies yearned for it, and by yearn I mean, they literally had a breakdown if you did not have it on your person at all times The first day of NYSF brought about a flood of emotions, mixed with a lack of sleep, but us science fans didn’t let that hold us back.

Day two, we were up and lively, ready for the incredible lecture at the exquisite Shine Dome (pictures included below). Within this lecture, I was exposed to the world of physics, namely, photonics. This was a bit different for me, being interested in Health and Medical Science, but I was open to anything which allowed me to thoroughly enjoy everything that was talked about- I know what photonics actually is now!! We then attended a critical thinking workshop, which was also amazing, and so useful! I have already used the skills that I learnt here, at school and in some other aspects of my life. The science relay quiz was a highlight of that week- I connected (on a more intellectual level) with my floor group and and interest group (we were named Doherty, after Peter Doherty), which heightened my appreciation of those around me, as I’m sure it did for them as well. After a night of racking our brains and dancing in intermissions, we were exhausted and (I know I did) fell asleep straight away. Day three was when it officially started. Getting dressed up and attending Parliament House for the opening ceremony was amazing. I was exposed to how politics actually worked, and the huge importance of science in government. It opened my eyes up to the other opportunities out there for me, uncovering that scientists could in fact be some of the most impactful politicians. We got to put this idea into action through a mock house of representatives debate on the issue of nuclear power. The second lecture was my all-time favourite! Here we met Toxicologist David Caldicott, who exposed a world of possibilities in the field of science, and the importance of being an advocate for our beloved STEM (he also gave us his contact details, that I definitely plan on taking advantage of). That night we had swing dancing lessons, which was such a thrill! Being a swimmer, I am not very exposed to physical activity in the form of organised dancing, so this was definitely a change of scenery for me, but nonetheless a change that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to the amazing instructors, I can definitely dance better than I previously could. Day four, my interest group (health and medical science) was privileged enough to visit ACT pathology, where we examined the haematology, microbiology and histology labs. Having previously worked at the pathology labs in Wollongong, for work experience, this was an immense interest of mine. That night we had the Rotary and Alumni evening, where we listened to influential speeches from past NYSF’ers about what could potentially be in store for us over the next few years.

Day 5, my group went to ACT health where we got to practise interpreting ECG scans and putting forward a plan of action. We also got to examine liver tissue and compare healthy and cancerous tissues, which was extremely eye opening! This night we had our shopping trip, which we all absolutely loved! We were all able to hang out as a group and have some time to wind down- definitely needed! Day 6, we had the BEST workshop from our amazing staffies. The ‘What Happens Next’ session, was by far the most immediately impactful for me. They gave us insights on how to get through year 12 in the best way (socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually) and how to get the most out of our last year. We learnt that personal experience, and growth, was just as important, if not more important, than our mark at the end of this year. I absolutely loved this because it was exactly what I needed to hear going into the most stressful year of schooling. We then had our institution visits, the National Museum is amazing!! This night we had our disco, which was the most fun I have had! It was just incredible dressing up and dancing with a heap of scientists who knew how to have a good time. The staffies also made the night hilarious. Day 7 was home hospitality. I was so, so grateful for this day, as the rest was DEFINITELY needed. I also got to meet the loveliest couple and their son, who were so hospitable and willing to go above and beyond to make myself and another girl feel at home and relaxed. Day 8, we were well rested and ready to tackle another amazing week. We had an entrepreneurship workshop that opened my eyes to even more possibilities out there for me! We then had a visit to Australian Catholic College where we worked with students studying nursing and paramedicine, which was a great experience because we were able to get first-hand knowledge from the university students about what to expect. This night we had evening activities, where I did yoga at ANU, so much fun.

Day 9 was a day full of information and options. In the morning we heard from the partners of NYSF, and later got to meet them in a ‘speed date’. This was amazing because it showed us which paths we could take to achieve our goals, and then the career choices that could be a possibility after these achievements. This continued through to the science dinner, where we got to meet all of the scientists and coordinators involved in the NYSF- speaking to your idols is beyond incredible!! After the night, I was convinced I wanted to be a marine biologist. Day 9 was all about DNA; yes!! In the morning, I listened to a lecture about DNA profiling and how essential it is in forensic science. In the afternoon, my interest group got to visit ANU biology to perform a DNA profiling experiment ourselves. This hands-on learning was unbelievable. Day 10 saw me presenting a 5 minute speech about my favourite topic. I was able to educate my interest group about what I’m interested in and passionate about and likewise, they were able to do the same. As this day was Australia Day, the whole 196 of us had the traditional BBQ on the lawn, while singing the National Anthem and enjoying our beautiful country in it’s Capital. This day ended with brilliant fireworks and the best night spent with the best people. Day 11 brought about many emotions as we knew it was nearing the end of session. There were tears mixed with hoarse voices (from chanting) and lots of hugging. This realisation made us appreciate the last day even more, and our trip to Questacon was spent loving the space and the people around us. Day 12 was when everyone cried, as our closest friends of the last two weeks boarded buses that would take them hours away from us. I boarded the bus that would take me 14 hours away from Canberra and away from the place that gave me some of the best memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. I am sure that, although I miss the people I met there every day, it won’t be the end of my involvement with NYSF. We all know that we will see each other again, be it at Next Step programs, International programs and even at Uni- we want to make an NYSF Alumni club! The beyond amazing experience of NYSF was a time that I could not have had without the incredible members of Rotary and all of the NYSF board, as well as every student staff member. I could not think of anything more rewarding than to go back this year as a staff member to ensure that the students get the absolutely incredible experience that I was fortunate enough to. I believe that the NYSF alumni title that I now hold means that I will forever be involved in NYSF and it will always be such a huge, sentimental part of my year 12 experience. I hope that I can experience this further at an International program and as a staff member in the future, I can’t imagine a time without NYSF. I have already told every person I know about how unbelievable NYSF is and that they should not hesitate to apply (now that we have another session in Brisbane!!!). I can’t thank everyone enough, for giving me the experience of a lifetime that enabled me to meet friends that will last me a lifetime, I will be forever grateful. A proud NYSFer,

Hannah Wales