From the Students

NASA Space Camp

by Farzana Mohammad Aref, Year 12

Travelling to the U.S. as part of the Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship was one of the most unforgettable and inspiring experiences of my life. Representing Australia and attending Space Camp in Alabama gave me a sense of global connection, curiosity, and confidence I had never felt before. It was the kind of opportunity that challenged me in the best ways and reminded me how far curiosity and teamwork can take you. Throughout the week, we took part in everything from astronaut training simulations to problem solving challenges. One of the most memorable parts of Space Camp was taking on the role of an astronaut, where I had to complete repairs "in space" while communicating with Mission Control. It challenged my focus, patience, and teamwork in a way I had never experienced before. It taught me how essential clear communication and trust are, especially under pressure.

 

The camp encouraged me to step up in ways I hadn’t before. Whether it was helping teammates through challenges or learning to adapt when things didn’t go to plan, I found myself growing every day. At the end of the week, I was genuinely surprised to receive the 'Right Stuff' award, which recognised leadership and resilience. It was a reminder that sometimes your efforts are noticed when you're simply focused on supporting others and doing your best. 

 

One of the highlights was meeting astronaut Charlie Duke, who walked on the moon during Apollo 16. Hearing firsthand about the resilience and teamwork behind space missions was beyond inspiring. It reminded us that behind every major achievement lies dedication, curiosity, and the courage to take risks. 

 

Beyond the missions, meeting students from all over the world reminded me how powerful shared goals can be. Even though we came from different backgrounds, our excitement for science, learning, and the future brought us together. This opportunity helped me realise I want to be part of something bigger, something that blends science with purpose and uses knowledge to create real change.

Performing Arts Work Experience

Baxter Clifford Jeisman, Year 12

In term 3, Baxter was given the opportunity to take on some work experience in a Performing Arts Class at the Wexford Campus for 5 weeks. During this time, Baxter worked closely with Colette Brennan to teach students a variety of skills and activities, just like the dinosaur dance as seen in the pictures below. 

Baxter has grand plans to become a voice actor for games and anime! So his time with Colette has been well spent in performing arts. Through his time in IMPACT and as a VCE drama student he is learning confidence and how to become more comfortable in front of an audience. 

It's been a really fun class and I hope everyone continues to do well!  - Baxter

The International School of Science

By Mehdi Mohammad Aref, Year 11

The international school of science (ISS) only occurs every two years for youths from all over the world such as the UK, America, Japan, China, South Korea, Nepal, Vietnam and every state of Australia. There were only four scholars from the entire state of Victoria including me to have been able to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity for STEM. 

Ethnically I am from Afghanistan and I arrived in Australia last year as an immigrant, I felt truly honoured being the one and only Afghan to have attended the 2025 ISS program in Sydney for two weeks. It has truly changed my life and my perception of the world, it has given me the confidence to openly be able to express my ideas and thoughts for engineering, maths and everything science involved. I remember we would attend daily lectures about scientific theories like what dark matter is and how the milky way contains stars, then would go off to complete outstanding  STEM activities on how to understand black holes, animals and how everything around us involves science. I remember everyone staying up at night to build a parachute that would save an egg from a three floor building. 

We taught the students from overseas about the amazing Australian cultures like the bush dances, how to properly enjoy vegemite and how to eat Tim Tams the right way, biting both ends and drinking chocolate milk through it. We enjoyed every moment of the passing seconds networking, learning and inspiring each other to do our best and achieve our goals whatever that may be. 

I can go on forever speaking about how great this opportunity was, but the world doesn't need to know that, it just needs to know that the new generation is out there achieving extraordinary dreams that we have never even dreamt about before. The night stars in the Australian sky have never shined brighter to me, I loved every little bit of ISS. 

Creative Partnerships

Recently, our Year 9 and 10 students undertook a very special Performing Arts program, funded through Creative Victoria. Students worked with the wonderful Libby Brockman to create 'What Comes Next? An Immersive Experience', a choose your own adventure performance. Student voice played heavily into the project at all stages, both with the students creating the piece and the audience participation.

Enjoy the short clips below, highlighting what they created. 

Thank you to everyone involved!