Three O'Connor Catholic College students will head to next year's National Youth Science Forum, an intensive summer school program for Year 11 students considering a STEM career.
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The 12-day camp in Canberra or Brisbane allows school-based students to experience life as a university student. They will visit labs and science facilities, meet scientists and researchers, listen to lectures, and take part in workshops and social events.
This will be the first time for Isabella Kennedy and Kieran Wicks, both in Year 11. Year 12 student Meg Lye returns as a staff-member - the third year in a row an O'Connor student has been chosen for the role.
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Meg said she met so many amazing people, both students and professors, at her 2019 forum. "That's why I'm so excited to go back!" she said.
Her advice as an old hand: "Keep your mind open to opportunities, and say yes to everything! Never pass up an opportunity to meet someone new; there are over 200 people there, from all over the country... Stay in contact with people afterwards, because you never know when you'll be able to see them again."
Both Isabella and Kieran are looking forward to meeting people who are successful in their fields, and talking to like-minded people with an interest in STEM.
The camp will also, they hope, help them decide their future. Isabella is interested in medicine as a career, but expects to have more clarification after the program.
Kieran is also looking into a career in science, but hasn't decided what to study yet. The forum, he expects, will figure out what he wants to do, and expand his knowledge.
For her part, Meg is thinking of studying chemistry - like her father, senior lecturer in chemistry at UNE.
Science has fascinated all three for years.
"Science is all around us," Meg said. "It's so prevalent, especially in modern society. We need science to solve all the huge issues in our world, like climate change."
From an early age, Isabella liked playing with scientific equipment in the back yard with her siblings, and doing experiments. She enjoys the complexity and ideas of senior school science.
"The discovery into the unknown is pretty cool," she said; "the development of scientific ideas, and how we can use these to describe phenomena going on in society."
For Kieran, Science Week taught by principal Regina Menz whetted his appetite. Coming into high school, he said, he enjoys practicals.
The best part of science, he said, is learning how everything works. "Most of the time, there's a scientific reason behind things."
Meg and other students selected to come back as staff members spent a week in Canberra training and building trust - including a trek and camp in freezing Namadgi National Park.
There were no tents, Meg said - while the ACT night fell to minus-10 degrees. "We were walking in the snow!"
The National Youth Science Forum is in its 36th year, and O'Connor Catholic College has been involved for at least 16 years, Ms Menz said.
"It makes going to university so much easier, because [students who attended] already know someone on campus," she said.
The NYSF continues at university; students are part of outreach programs, or might speak at special events. "It extends beyond the actual two-week program," Ms Menz said.
O'Connor has a strong science program because science is amazing, Ms Menz believes.
"We're really lucky at O'Connor because we have passionate teachers across a range of fields," Ms Menz said.
"These students are encouraged to be part of [the NYSF] programs. They're advertised, but they're more than advertised. We say: 'Have you thought about this? This might be a really good thing for you to do!'"
Armidale Central Rotary supports the event, and meets half the expenses for the students to attend the NYSF.