Dear Carroll Community,

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Batemans Bay Rotary dinner with a focus on youth leadership in our community. Our school captains Macy Follett, Liam Walsh and Emma Penberthy of Year 12 also attended the evening with me. The dinner was an opportunity to hear from young members of the community who have been selected to attend a range of amazing events sponsored by Rotary.

We heard from those who debated in Old Parliament House as a part of the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), those who have attended the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) and an 8 year old boy who will go to the world BMX Championships.

Emma Penberthy presented her recent experience at the National Youth Science Forum. I have included her speech below.

National Youth Science Presentation

From the 5-13th January, I attended the National Youth Science Forum program held at the Australian National University. 250 Year 12 students travelled from all states in Australia to attend the first session in Canberra, which was followed by another 250 students who attended Session B at the University of Queensland.

The NYSF program allows students with a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics to be immersed in a variety of activities to broaden understanding of diverse study and career options available in STEM-related fields. This program sparked my interest as I have a great passion for science, in particular biology and chemistry, as well as the fact that prior to attending the program, I was still quite unsure about which field of science I would like to pursue after school and wished to gain clarity through the program.

Activities

The 9 days were filled with a variety of activities. There were a range of STEM related activities which included visits to laboratories to conduct experiments such as DNA profiling (one of my favourites) relating to my science interests, in particular biology, and visits outside of the ANU campus to places like Questacon and the Age of Fishes Museum. It also consisted of presentations from speakers such as the Chief Defence Scientist of Australia, Professor Tanya Monro or having the opportunity to explore the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland via a Zoom meeting, both of which were very interesting. There were also specialist lectures available to attend on topics such as Nuclear Science, or Messenger RNA and COVID Vaccines to appeal to individual interests and acquire knowledge about specific fields of STEM. The DNA profiling and the specialist lectures about the mRNA vaccines were some of the most interesting activities of the program and helped me to realise my passion for biology. As well as this, I was able to take part in a Careers Day, filled with opportunities to meet industry partners, engage in presentations from an assortment of universities and meet professionals from a range of careers. In terms of social activities, I was able to make new friends through participating in activities together, meeting with my floor group every night which consisted of participants who were located in rooms close to mine and partaking in the disco and concert.

Experience I Have Gained

I left the program with new friendships and a broadened view of the world of STEM. The NYSF program enabled me to gain clarity on the fields of science that I wish to pursue as well as expanded my knowledge and fuelled my passion for science through a taste beyond school level. I walked away with more confidence, a broadened social network with like-minded individuals and memories I will never forget. As well as this, I was able to experience what it was like to be immersed in ANU and familiarise myself with the campus, which was particularly useful for me as this is the university that I wish to study at the most next year.

Conclusion

The National Youth Science Forum program was an extremely rewarding experience full of expanded knowledge of STEM, new friendships and lasting memories. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I would love to attend the 2025 program as a “Staffie” to facilitate and guide the next group of participants through their experience. I was very fortunate to have this opportunity and so grateful for the sponsorship from Batemans Bay Rotary that helped to make this happen. A big thank you for all of your support!

Our school captains Macy Follett and Liam Walsh were also recognised and awarded for their leadership and outstanding service to the Carroll College community. The evening was a wonderful opportunity to connect, and network with liked- minded people in our community.

Andrew Kenneally
Assistant Principal (Curriculum, Learning and Innovation)