Last year, Jing Ning Chua, was awarded an opportunity to attend the Rotary Science and Technology Forum. Gaining a spot in the programme was an outstanding achievement in itself, with Jing Ning successfully completing a two-stage admissions process to gain a place amongst some of New Zealand’s highest achieving students.

The forum was held across 2 weeks in January, based out of the University of Auckland. The forum was fully immersive, with students getting a taste of tertiary life and engaging with some of the country’s foremost scientific and technological minds. Below is an excerpt from Jing Ning’s experiences at the forum:

“My first objective in attending the forum was to explore more Science-related careers and gain a better insight and idea of future opportunities. This was achieved when I was introduced to a wide range of different fields via the academic sessions, special lectures, and technical visits. The forum exposed me to a multitude of careers in Forensics, Artificial Intelligence, Physics, Biomedical Science, Food Science, etcetera.”

“My most memorable session was Chemistry with Dr Debbie Jordan. Her enthusiasm and passion for Chemistry was contagious. She believes that everyone with a love for chemistry, or just learning in general, deserves to have adequate resources available to them. She offered to send every student attending the forum free copies of her own chemistry workbook and write us reference letters for scholarship applications. Her optimism and unwavering sense of purpose gave me renewed motivation for my studies. I genuinely hope to cross paths with her again in the future.”

“Overall, the forum was an extraordinary experience that has gifted me with invaluable friends, and a broader perspective of the possibilities that lie in the future. I am immensely grateful to the Rotary club, and my school, for their support and guidance.”