Year 13 Baradene College student, Veronica Booth spoke to Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary (her sponsoring club) of her experience at the latest Rotary National Science and Technology Forum held at The University of Auckland in January.

The Forum is a programme aimed at high achieving, well-rounded science, maths and technology students in Year 12 who are returning to Year 13 and who are planning to study science or technology subjects at tertiary level.

This year, there were 174 students from all over New Zealand who gathered for two weeks of intensively programmed, live-in learning and experience.
Subjects covered clever things like applied maths, forensics, chemistry, electronics, robotics, molecular biology, physics, psychology and nutrition, among others. Participants had opportunities to visit interesting employers like ESR, TVNZ, Beca, Landcare, Auckland Zoo, Watercare, NZ Defence, NZ Police and Food Bowl to put potential learnings into perspective.
 
Veronica loved making robots, extracting DNA and dissecting a sheep heart. (Doesn't that bring back the smells from science labs in our past?)
She said the Forum has focused her and given her many memorable experiences. She is now most interested in biomedical science and a career in medicine. She's looking forward to her science work ahead as well as promoting the Forum and Rotary.
 
What an impressive young woman who has found her future niche with just a little assistance from us. Youth Initiatives Director Karen Holland remarked that she had been an outstanding applicant when interviewed last year. It showed. Veronica was genuinely enthusiastic and likely one of the most engaging such students to present to us.

Reprinted with permission from the Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary Bulletin.