NYSF 2022 – Holly White, Isabel Richardson and William Alliston

JJulie Clendinning with students Will Alliston, Holly White and Isabel Richardson

Written by Holly White, Isabel Richardson and William Alliston

Over the summer holidays, we attended a two-week online science program that explored a variety of careers and degrees, inspired us to be better students, and gave us the opportunity to meet like-minded people. There were some challenges along the way, such as the cancellation of the in-person visits due to Covid-19. However, we believe this only exercised our adaptability skills, which are required in a world of uncertainty. Attending each lecture online also reminded us of how fast technology is advancing. It’s amazing that we could still be a part of such a prestigious program from the safety of our own homes.

Whova App

To encourage us to meet new people, NYSF was quick to introduce us to the Whova app. It was here we were able to get to know hundreds of other students with a passion for science. We were able to communicate with others who share our interests in many topics such as sport, school, art, and careers. Within the app, we were given the chance to branch off and find others with similar career interests. For example, inspiring medical students were able to get together and talk about applying for Med school and studying for the UCAT. We could identify common struggles and encourage each other to continue working hard on our dreams and future. Thanks to this program we now have made friendships and connections with people all over Australia. Knowing that we will be going to university with some of these people is very exciting.

Advancing Medical Research

We learned about the variety of tools and approaches being discovered in order to understand health and disease. We touched on the importance of vaccines and their history. Before the understanding of vaccines, people still recognized that those who had been infected by a disease were less likely to be infected again. We also talked about the rapidly made Covid vaccine. It was insightful to see how the application of vaccines is so relevant. We were lucky to hear from a range of other researchers specialising in many different topics such as bone disease and breast cancer.  More than 3000 women die from breast cancer each year. It was interesting to see the social changes surrounding women’s health. Talking about breast cancer 70 years ago was less accepted than it is today. Our speakers opened our eyes to all the jobs and research available for use in the medical industry.

Antarctica, CERN, and Museum Live Cross

We were fortunate enough to have amazing zoom calls to multiple scientific facilities around the world. With the use of amazing technology, we were able to meet people from all over the world and were given virtual tours of the locations in which they work. The CERN Hadron Collider in Switzerland was an incredible opportunity to learn about Physics, particles, matter, and the high-tech equipment used to study these fields. It was also amazing to be able to live cross all to way to Antarctica and speak with the people enduring the cold in the name of science. We learned all about their lifestyle and what sort of research they were conducting on the bottom of the earth. Each session included some valuable insight into what a career in this location looks like, how we as students can get involved, and what areas of study would allow us to work in such amazing environments. These really were once-in-a-lifetime experiences and absolutely amazing to see.

Dr. Karl

It was a privilege to meet Dr. Karl on one of our many virtual programs. He was very inspiring and encouraged us as young scientists to pursue our dreams. He reminded us that science is immersed in our everyday lives. He also touched on the advantages and limitations of science which is important when considering science as a lifetime career. Dr. Karl mentioned the power of politics and encouraged us all to vote wisely. He also pleasantly informed us that our generation has the highest IQ in the history of mankind. This was by far one of our favourite sessions, not only did Dr. Karl give us insight into the world of STEM but he also gave us some important life lessons we didn’t know we needed.

Careers and Universities

We were given the opportunity to talk with a variety of people from many Australian Universities. Some of these Uni’s included UNSW, Griffith, UQ, Monash, and the University of Adelaide. Many students currently studying at these Universities gave us insight into what university life is like and what their degree entails. We learned that a career is never a straight nor direct line, rather a journey. It’s normal to change your mind about the degree you’re studying for. NYSF covered a variety of careers such as medicine, engineering, and agriculture, topics we are interested in. This only sparked more excitement to begin life outside of school.

The long-term impact of NYSF

NYSF has broadened our general knowledge which we think is extremely beneficial for our current school subjects and for a science career later on in life. We now understand that everyone is on their own journey, and there is no wrong or right way to success. This has placed less stress on us and makes us look forward to a life of many new experiences. We now have a mindset that enables us to take on challenges and deal with disappointment. Even the best of scientists has faced adversity. Before NYSF, we were still uncertain about science as a career. However, after the program, we knew for sure that we want to take on a science degree at university.  Science leads to immense employment opportunities.

What are we planning to do?

Isabel– I would love to study Medicine at any university. The opportunity to do work placement in a rural area would be ideal. I understand that there are doctor shortages in many rural and remote communities. NYSF has confirmed my area of study by exposing me to the attitudes of students who I look forward to working with, as well as captivating my interest in the field of health.

Will – NYSF gave me the opportunity to learn about and understand all the different sub-areas of engineering. NYSF helped me realise and confirmed my passion for engineering and encouraged me to apply for civil engineering for early entry at Charles Sturt University.

Holly– Agriculture. I hope to Study Rural Science at the University of New England. Throughout the two weeks, I attended numerous environmental sessions. These sessions were extremely eye-opening and helped me realise that our generation is going to have to protect the environment. NYSF has influenced my determination in trying to increase the environmental sustainability of agricultural practices.

Thank You!

Overall, NYSF was a wonderful 2-week experience. We appreciate the amazing opportunity to meet so many inspiring students, professors, Nobel prize winners, and people in a variety of scientific fields all trying to improve our future and passion for science. We would like to give a huge thanks to Inverell East Rotary Club for sponsoring us and providing us with this amazing opportunity. We would also like to thank Di Hall in particular for organising and providing the opportunity to participate. Lastly, a special thanks to Mrs. Clendinning for making this possible and helping us through our interviews.