BY NATHAN MORTON
Not many teenagers can claim they’ve had the opportunity to travel overseas for a prestigious youth science camp, but for Pakuranga College student Andrew Hislop, it’s an entirely different story.
The Howick lad will be given a five-day experience in Melbourne after being selected by Royal Society Te Aparangi to attend Youth ANZAAS (Australia New Zealand Advancement of Science) in July.
Andrew is one of only seven high school students in New Zealand given the opportunity to attend the residential science camp.
The programme offers extensive lectures and hands-on learning in areas such as medical research, astronomy and engineering – a field Andrew is considering for tertiary studies.
It features visits to Melbourne University, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and RMIT University of Technology, as well as social outings.
Andrew, who is head boy at Pakuranga College, said he’s always been interested in what makes the world go round and “wants to do something that helps people” in the future.
“I’ve always been driven to understand how the world works… curiosity, I guess. That’s what got me interested in science in the first place.”
He found out by email that he had been accepted into the programme, after submitting a copy of his school grades, CV and one-page letter in his application for the Melbourne camp.
Youth ANZAAS takes place from July 9-14.
