From the Futures Team
Work Experience
Madalene Wong (Year 11) – Tata goIT Girls
From November 25 to 28, I had the privilege to participate in the TATA goIT Girls work experience program hosted by TSC. I got to listen to motivational mentors share their experience in working in IT, insight into gender inequality in the workplace and project management skills.
During the program, we brainstormed on one IT solution for improving the efficiency and accessibility of hospitals and presented our proposals in groups on the last day. The judges provided great assistance and feedback to our presentations, and we got to make friends with like-minded students from other schools. Overall, the program was fun, interactive and insightful. Once again, thank you so much to Ms Binaisha and the mentors for providing us with such a memorable and helpful experience.
Zara Simpson (Year 10) – Radio 2GB and Channel 9
During my time at 2GB, I gained valuable insight into how a radio station operates. I had the opportunity to observe how all the various departments – technical, production, and on-air talent — work together to produce a successful show. I worked closely with producers and was able to gain a deeper understanding of their essential role in shaping content, managing the flow of a broadcast, and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
In the studio, I practiced using the equipment, recording and editing news bulletins, traffic reports, and scripts. This experience not only allowed me to familiarise myself with the technical aspects of radio production but also taught me the importance of timing, clarity, and precision when delivering content to an audience. I learned how to control my voice to make it more engaging and effective, experimenting with tone, pace, and inflection to maintain listener interest.
A highlight of my time at 2GB was a project where my peer Rose and I created our own radio show. As part of this, we had the exciting opportunity to interview one of Sydney’s biggest radio hosts, Michael McLaren. Our show explored the topic, “How well can a Gen X decipher 2024 teen slang?” This experience was valuable in helping me develop essential skills such as conducting interviews, researching topics, and writing a compelling radio script. I also learned how to structure a show, balance content, and ensure our conversation flowed smoothly and engagingly.
During my day at Channel 9, I gained insight into the various departments and processes that come together to bring TV programs to life. I quickly realised how complex the television industry is, from concept development to the final broadcast. I had the chance to watch a TV program being filmed live and how each area contributes to a seamless production.
I gained an understanding of the creative process behind TV programming, from brainstorming ideas to refining scripts for presenters. My experience at Channel 9 deepened my appreciation for the teamwork and coordination required to produce high-quality television content, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the effort involved in delivering a polished final product to the audience.
Year 10 Future You Festival
Student Perspective
“Futures week has been a fantastic opportunity to immerse ourselves in different industries and look at life after Pymble” – Ayana Chandra
On day one of the three-day event, we began with an inspirational visit from Vithyaa Thavapalan who emphasised creating a give and take partnerships and showing initiative in creating opportunities to learn in the industry. Student Monika Huang took away “always put yourself in a position where luck will hit you”.
We also further extended our knowledge on our personal Clifton Strengths, by looking into the flipside of our strengths. For example, as someone who has Positivity as one of my strengths, I need to remember to touch base with reality. We also took part in two workshops of our choosing out of; Balancing the Busyness, Authentically You: Building Your Personal Brand, Developing Your Portfolio: Work, Overseas Experiences and Using AI effectively in applications. These provided us with tips and knowledge for our future aspirations.
The next day we continued with a visit from Samantha D’Souza who showed us how keeping an open mind led her to a robust and non-linear career pathway. Sasha Chan “really liked learning how each individual speaker detailed the importance of how their career came about through diversifying and keeping open-minded to new opportunities.” Samantha also demonstrated how her skills were transferable and how to use our skills in any industry. We also had career conversations in small rotating groups to give us a wider insight into the variety and pathways of careers. Then, we ended off with either yoga, pilates, Pickleball, Zumba or breathwork to refresh for a while after taking in a day’s worth of words.
On day three we began with our “first Senior School assembly” which introduced us to exciting opportunities to look forward to such as gap, prefect positions, Sony Camp and the Knox-Pymble connections group. Then we moved to the 3 industry workshops such as To Aviation and Beyond…A Communication Story (UNSW), Are you thinking about being an Entrepreneur? (UTS) and Power, Rights, and Rules: Exploring Australian Constitutional Law in the 21st Century (Macquarie University), which we chose out of 20 options. One of the workshops I chose was Fashion Design and Illustration, which taught me techniques designers use to convey textures such as denim, lace and gathers. Then, we celebrated the end of the Future You Festival with a barbecue, gelato and our final Year 10 assembly of the year.
Overall, Stella Boyle loved, “exploring different career pathways, hearing from people with experience. I also loved learning about my personality and strengths when it comes to the workplace.” Oldina Xia’s key takeaway in one word was “Passion!”
Information for Year 12
University of Melbourne
Chancellor’s Scholarship. Up to $32,500 AUD
This scholarship is offered to high-achieving students in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement during their Australian Year 12.
Closing date: 14 January 2025
Click here for more information.
Uni of Notre Dame Info Day:
Date: 18 December 2024 | 10.00am to 3.00pm
Location: Uni. Notre Dame Sydney Campus, Broadway
Register: Info Day Sydney 2024
Macquarie Uni Info Day:
Dates: 17 to 21 December, 10.00am to 4.00pm
Wednesday 18 December, 10.00am to 7.30pm
Location: Macquarie Campus. North Ryde
Register: https://mq.edu.au/explore
Uni of Sydney Info Day:
Date: 18 December, 1.00pm to 6.00pm
Location: City Campus. Broadway.
UTS Info Day
Date: 18 December | 1.00pm to 6.00pm.
Location: City Campus, Broadway
Register: https://www.uts.edu.au/study/info-day
UNSW Info Day.
Date: 18 December | 12.00pm to 4.00pm
Location: Kensington Campus
Register: https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/event/unsw-info-day-2024
Australian National University: Moving Interstate for University Webinar
Join us to hear about life on campus at the Australian National University such as what it’s like to move interstate for university, the different accommodation options on campus, supports available, networks/clubs to join and life on campus.
Date: 9 December, 5.00pm
Location: Webinar