The opportunity to attend was afforded to four local year 12 pupils – Wauchope’s Matt Cramp and Port Macquarie’s Shawn Wilson, Isaac Lawrence and Brock Sherlock.

The forum is aimed at enhancing students’ scientific interest and open potential doors to further tertiary study and careers.

The NYSF helps students moving into Year 12, who wish to follow careers in science, engineering and technology by introducing them to research and researchers. 

Isaac described the 12 day forum in Canberra as “the best experience of my life”.

“It was nothing that I expected, in a good way,” he said.

“I expected it to be a lot of people standing around in lab coats but that wasn’t the case. It gave me a lot more clarity about what I want to do in my life.

“To be able to be with likeminded people and how they got to where they are was great.”

Isaac is tossing up between a bachelor of commerce or medicine, but said there are too many options to choose from at the moment.

The students were able to visit different laboratories, hear from professionals in their chosen fields by way of lectures, and even got to meet Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt.

In 2018, the program will cater for an additional 200 places in the program, so young people in year 11 in 2017 are encouraged to consider applying in March 2017.

Applications open on March 1 and close May 31. This expansion of the program is being supported by the National Innovation and Science Agenda.