Student University Experiences

JCU Heroes in Health Taster Program

Allysah, Nylah, Alex, Claudia and Camryn attended the Heroes in Health Taster Program at the JCU Training Rooms in Rockhampton in the last week of Term 2.

Students heard about JCU health courses, listened to a current JCU Medicine student, two GPs, a Physiotherapist and a QAS Ambulance officer.

They also got hands on experience in activities which included:

• Joint injections & aspirations,

• Physiotherapist balancing activities, ankle sprain tests & treatment of types of ankle sprain

• Toe nail removal and

• Treating snake bites

JCU STAR Chemistry Program

Alex (Year 12) attended the amazing JCU STAR Chemistry Program during the holidays at James Cook University in Townsville. It was a busy three days from 1.00pm - 5.00pm covering an entire recap of Unit 3 Chemistry and learning the top tips and tricks for our current assessment, the research investigation.

It was an amazing experience as she was able to revise content in a small group and navigate the campus. The JCU STAR program is an amazing experience to gain confidence in subjects to prepare for external exams, with other subjects available.

QUT National Indigenous Business Summer School

On the first week of the school holidays, Mackenzie and Abigail attended the National Indigenous Business Summer School through the Queensland University of Technology at the garden point campus.

During the program, both students got to experience Indigenous guest presenters from all different industries, academic skill workshops, social and cultural events such as weaving and games night, and site tours which included multiple universities alongside ABC Studios, accounting firms, Fujitsu, and 1 William Street with many more. Other than all the fun and exciting activities, the girls were put into teams of five to create a case study using the information from the many guest speakers. The pitch was an idea about how to increase the rate of participation of Indigenous in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Throughout the summer school, both girls got to experience multiple different career pathways surrounding business.

I am so glad that I was able to attend this opportunity as I received a better understanding of what business is and what types of careers are out there. It was a big eye-opener to all the possibilities and helped me understand what I would like to be when I graduate from school - Abigail

My overall experience for QUT was amazing. I obtained an insight into the business world and all the range of things I could be capable of. I was able to see people exactly like me doing what I wanted to do, and that for me, put everything in perspective. It allowed me to see that my dream was in reach and there was a whole community behind me cheering me on. Throughout the camp, we stayed at Scape, Southbank and we learnt all about how to present and set out a presentation, alongside what a business could do for our community. We were given many opportunities to not only engage with guest speakers but also network with guest speakers. The highlight, for me personally, was visiting all the different University campuses - Mackenzie

University of Sydney Tahgara Program

Over the first ‘official’ week of Term 3, Muguzi, Tracelyn and Bella spent the week in the University of Sydney’s Tahgara Program. This program was on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as it took place on the University of Sydney's campus.

Over the course of a week, we became equipped with academic preparation, connections at the University, and Indigenous peoples to seek out to, if need be.

We were presented with a series of personalised lectures based on external exam preparations and met faculty professionals who extensively spoke to us about bachelor degrees we were looking into. Tours around the campus and accommodation buildings proceeded, telling us about the buildings’ histories and what faculty teaches in each block. All the while, we got to watch the new Thor film, visit the Opera House to watch a magnificent Bangarra performance, and could see the University’s own museum.

Personally, I have grown up wanting to go to university and, with my sister attending this uni, it was one of the major options for me. Having a program such as this which supported me academically whilst showcasing to me the highlights of Sydney was an enriching experience that only reiterated my want to go there. The in-depth conversations with the faculty professionals gave me such an insight into my future years and made it less of an anxiety, as did the accommodation tours. - Bella