“Get yourself into a job that you’re passionate about, don’t look for the money, do something that you’re actually going to enjoy! That’s something a lot of the presenters have talked about, and I think that’s really important.”
We are delighted to introduce you to Makayla Blythman, an NYSF Year 12 Program participant who is one of over 250 young Australians from remote and regional areas to participate in the Year 12 Program in 2022.
Where Makayla calls home is just about as remote as you can get – out in the Indian Ocean around 1,500km west off the coast of mainland Australia!
“I’ve grown up on Christmas Island my whole life, I moved there when I was just 10 days old! I’ve always gone to the same school, but we’ve always had really good opportunities there, like this one to attend the NYSF.”
Like so many NYSF participants, it was encouragement from her school teacher that led Makayla to submit her application for the program.
“My teacher for human biology shared the information around with the science students and encouraged us to give it a go…I thought to myself, ‘what’s the worst that could happen? I’ve got nothing to lose’, so I submitted an application. I was very excited when I got in!”
Across all the different options within science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM), it is human biology and medical science that Makayla shows the most excitement for. Her involvement in the Year 12 Program, and specifically the in-person visits held in her ‘local’ hub in Perth (still over 2,600km from her home), has only fuelled this passion even further.
“I love human biology; it is one of my top subjects. As part of the program, we went to Murdoch University, which included a lot of forensics and human biology aspects. We were able to look through microscopes and compare normal blood cells to those from patients with leukaemia and see the differences between them, which really interested me. We also looked at different tissues like heart, liver and skin.”
Chatting further to Makayla, we can start to see where this passion has originated from, and she is already thinking about where it might take her in her future career. It is obvious that she has a selfless outlook and consideration for others which are key factors, but there is certainly some personal enjoyment in it as well!
“Human biology has always been something I’ve loved. I’ve always leaned towards the medical side of things. I love the thought of being able to help people, but I also just love that ‘gory’ stuff as well, it’s great and so interesting!"
“I want to be a paediatrician. Knowing that I’m helping kids, I want to be that person in the hospital the kids love, so they don’t feel like they’re in a bad place. I want to be someone who makes their day a little bit better when they’re in a not very good situation.”
NYSF partner organisation Telethon Kids Institute, a medical research facility based within the Perth Children’s Hospital, provided a window into a potential future for Makayla and other NYSF participants with similar interests. The Institute was one of a number of in-person STEM visits held in Perth during the Year 12 Program in January, designed to give participants access to real-world STEM experiences, helping them to see what their future careers could look like. Speaking before the visits in January, Makayla said:
“I am really looking forward to the visit at the Telethon Kids Institute. I am curious to see what it’s like in a real hospital environment, seeing what they do in their day-to-day work so I can know what to expect.”
Makayla has a deep personal connection to the medical world as well, and we were inspired by the way her personal experiences have helped to spark her passion for helping others.
“My Dad passed away from cancer, so that is something that would be really close to the heart to do. I’d be really interested to be involved in cancer research, and working to help find cures.”
Speaking about her experience of the program, Makayla highlighted how she has also gained many life and career tips, on top of the wealth of scientific knowledge which is presented.
“A presenter from Murdoch University did a whole speech about what it’s like at university, the different paths you can take, and how you can combine different interests together like science and arts. It was really informative, and not so much a ‘science talk’ but more of a ‘life talk’, which was great.”
A key message throughout many of the sessions of the Year 12 Program was about encouraging participants to follow their interests and passions, and Makayla echoed this sentiment while sending a final message to her peers.
“Get yourself into a job that you’re passionate about, don’t look for the money, do something that you’re actually going to enjoy! That’s something a lot of the presenters have talked about, and I think that’s really important.”
Thank you to Makayla for sharing your story!
Thank you to Rotary for their endorsement and support of participants to attend the National Youth Science Forum. Through the support of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, and private donors, we are able to award additional scholarships to students who may otherwise be unable to attend.