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We spoke to an alumni about their highlights, aspirations, and influence of the 2021 NYSF Year 12 Program

For someone still in high school, heading to the NYSF Year 12 Program can be an incredible experience.

We spoke with one of our 2021 NYSF Year 12 Program alumni about their time with the program just a few months ago.

Our alumni, who wishes to remain anonymous, is one of the lucky participants who experienced the new-look program, which included 12 days of digital STEM visits.

One of the highlights for them was meeting some of their STEM role models.

"Dr Karl’s House Party was really good. I follow a few of his podcasts, so being able to ask him a question directly, that was just something else!"

Their thought-provoking question "do we have the right to explore other planets?" was answered by Dr Karl, who discussed the ‘fuzzy nature’ of rights, yet we must explore other planets to advance as humans.

Meeting role models at the 2021 NYSF Year 12 Program - content image

Our alumni, a proud Kalkatungu person (Queensland) who is currently living on Bangerang Country (Victoria), explained that they get plenty of daily encouragement closer to home as well.

It was a teacher who encouraged them to apply for the program in the first place.

“I got a message from the Indigenous coordinator, and they said, ‘have a look at this, it might be cool’ and I kind of just went with it!”

This is a similar story to many of our alumni – teachers are integral in encouraging students to apply for the Year 12 Program.

When we asked about university, our alumni told us they are very interested in pursuing medical sciences.

They said time with the Year 12 Program expanded their understanding of just how broad the field is.

“I wanted to go somewhere into the medical field. I wanted to be an orthopaedic surgeon, but I've since learnt about pharmacology, which I find pretty interesting too.’

Next year, they have their sights set on either The University of Melbourne or James Cook University.

While our alumni is keen on the medical science field, another program highlight for them was discovering new fields they didn't know were an option.

This included a digital tour of the CERN facilities in Switzerland, including the famous Large Hadron Collider.

“It was great to see all the different places, including CERN. I was actually surprised to see how big it was!”

Meeting role models at the 2021 NYSF Year 12 Program - content image

With their knowledge and experiences from the 2021 NYSF Year 12 Program, they offered up this advice for any student considering applying for the 2022 NYSF Year 12 Program

“If you have any doubts about applying, just do it anyway! This event is something that will definitely affect your choices later on in life.

“It will show you your own potential and highlight just how you can contribute and make a difference in life.”

We wish you all the best with your final year of high school, and into university.