From the Futures Team

Term 2 is a busy time for Masterclasses hosted by the Futures team.

Last week, Macquarie University came by to talk about their early entry program — Leaders & Achievers. Year 12 students are strongly encouraged to apply, as leadership and achievement take many different forms inside and outside of school. This week, the UNSW CO-OP program will be talking about their scholarships that provide industry training, professional development, networking, and financial support for selected undergraduate students in the disciplines of Business, Engineering, and Science. UBS is coming in next week to talk about their cadetship program, which combines university studies with work experience in banking and finance.

In the sporting and performance spaces, Macquarie Uni, Sydney Uni, UNSW, and UTS are all coming on Friday, 20 June, to share information on their Elite Athlete and Performers Schemes. These are university admission pathways that provide adjustments to selection rankings for students whose commitments to high-level sport or performing arts may have impacted their academic performance. These schemes acknowledge the challenges faced by balancing education with demanding training, competition, or rehearsal schedules.

Year 10-12 students are encouraged to sign up for Masterclasses they are interested in.

UNSW Engineering Work Experience Brinda Chovhan – Year 10

From 26 to 30 May, I participated in UNSW’s Civil and Environmental work experience program, along with 92 students from across the state. It was an informative experience where each day we specialised in a specific branch and got to observe and interact with various sites, engaged with industry leaders such as ACCIONA, and received advice from experts. While I was there, I gained a deeper understanding of Civil Engineering and have developed a clear idea of what I want to specialise in. As a secondary focus, I got to meet many aspiring engineers and collaborated on group projects throughout the program. Civil Engineering is a broad field that encompasses countless skills, from building bridges, engineering water filtration systems, surveying, and designing train tracks. Beyond technical knowledge, engineers require strong communication skills, problem-solving, and ingenuity.

In further detail of the 2025 program, we were split into three coloured groups: blue, green, and yellow. The blue group, which is where I was placed, focused on surveying, construction, transportation, and the water supply system aspects of Civil Engineering. The yellow group focused on wastewater, construction, electrical, and geospatial components. Finally, the green group specialised in chemical, solar, geotechnical, and construction parts of Civil Engineering. On the last day, all groups converged for a structural engineering session, culminating in a final bridge-building group project. Overall, I had a very positive experience in this program and highly recommend applying for next year’s experience.

FINMA Women in Finance Evening

FINMA is an industry-designed finance training program that runs alongside university studies and provides graduates with a direct pathway to careers in investment banking, trading, and asset management.

Sophie Xu (Year 11) attended an information evening and had the following thoughts to share:

I was fortunate enough to attend the FINMA Women in Finance Evening and found it to be a highly insightful and professionally organised experience. The evening brought together professionals from across the financial services industry — including areas such as asset management, investment banking, and financial regulation — who spoke about the challenges and opportunities for women in finance. Although the event was focused on supporting women, many of the speakers and facilitators, including members of the FINMA team, were male. This offered a more balanced and realistic view of how gender diversity is approached across the industry.

As I looked further into the FINMA program itself, I discovered that it is currently open only to university students — specifically those enrolled in degrees such as a Bachelor of Commerce or Economics. Most of the attendees I met were in their first or second year of university and already exploring internships or graduate career pathways.

Even though I’m not eligible to apply at this stage, attending the event was incredibly valuable. It allowed me to hear directly from those working in the field, ask questions, and better understand the realities of a finance career beyond what we learn in school. The experience confirmed for me that I want to pursue commerce or economics at university, and it gave me a clearer picture of the kinds of opportunities that may be open to me down the line. I’m very grateful to have had the chance to attend.

Upcoming Events (Internal)

Masterclasses – email sent to student each week with sign-up sheet

Week	Date	Topic / Presenter	Year groups

7	13/6	UNSW COOP Scholarship	Year 11 and 12
8	18/6	UBS Cadetship Opportunity	Year 11 and 12
8	20/6	Elite Athlete Programs UTS, USYD, UNSW, (MQ TBC)	Year 9-12