Future You Summit at QUT – A Week to Remember

During the second week of the June/July school holidays, I had the privilege of attending the Future You Summit at QUT alongside Molly Deller-Smith, Olive Akop, and Cadence Wone De Rungs. It was an unforgettable experience that I would highly recommend to anyone.

As QUT continues to grow in popularity across a range of study areas, this program gave students the opportunity to select a specific stream to explore throughout the week. I was placed in the Engineering stream, Olive joined the Design/Architecture stream, and Cadence and Molly both entered different Medical streams. There were also options in Music, Creative Arts, Maths, Law, Business, and more – covering nearly every possible university pathway.

We arrived in Brisbane on a chilly Monday afternoon, excited to begin. As regional students, we were given the special opportunity to stay at Somerville House boarding facilities. The rooms were lovely, and we quickly made friends with others on our floor. Each floor was led by an ambassador currently studying at QUT. I was lucky to be placed with Jade, a chemical process engineer, who shared her university journey and career insights with us in such a down-to-earth way.

The memories began right away. On Tuesday, Molly, some new friends, and I joined a 6.00am sunrise run. Despite the cold, the view was completely worth it. After a delicious breakfast, we walked to the QUT campus to start our day.

At the campus, we met our stream ambassador, Jordan, a third-year mechatronics student with a fun and energetic personality. After some icebreakers with our stream group, we began diving into the world of engineering.

Each day, we focused on a different branch of engineering: Mechanical, Electrical, AI, and Chemical Process. We took part in interactive activities like:

• Calculating forces to launch a ball to a target

• Building a hydrogen-powered propeller/car

• Designing a water filtration system

• Exploring AI tools (more advanced versions of ChatGPT) and learning how data is used in engineering industries

We also heard from inspiring engineers who spoke about their careers – from growing coral with robotics to preventing floods with civil engineering. These talks gave us real insight into the possibilities ahead.

Each afternoon, we joined a different social or professional activity. One highlight was speed networking, which helped us make valuable connections with professionals and students from a range of industries. We also learned about QUT’s student life – including the many, many clubs you can join!

For boarders, trivia and talent show night was another highlight – and Molly, Cadence and I were part of the team that won both events!

The final day was Entrepreneurship Day, where all streams were challenged to design a product that solves a real-world problem. My group tackled the issue of mine collapse fatalities by developing a sensor pin that detects changes in wall integrity and alerts miners to evacuate. With a poster and presentation, we pitched our idea and earned nearly $14,000 in simulated investment, placing in the top 10 teams.

While I immersed myself in all things engineering, Molly and Cadence explored the fascinating world of medicine - Molly handling tumour samples and gaining hands-on experience in laboratory settings and Cadence delved into sports science, uncovering the mechanics behind athletic performance. Olive focused on design, dreaming up innovative inventions and conceptualising water parks. Olive also joined me for a few lectures and participated in the mechanical engineering activity, adding a creative twist to the technical side of things.

At the end of the day we grabbed our suitcases and said goodbye with heavy hearts but inspiration and headed to the airport… But not without a quick stop at Yo-Chi!

The Future You Summit was not only fun and inspiring – it opened my eyes to future career possibilities, including dual degrees, vertical degrees, and so many other pathways. It showed me just how exciting and vibrant university life can be.

I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone – whether you're passionate about maths, creative arts, or anything in between. It’s an opportunity that truly opens doors.

Lydia Johnstone

Year 11