Bentley Park College eNewsletter

ACADEMIA

Cairns #GOHealth Careers Expo

Cairns Convention Centre was the place to be on 26 March when 35 of our Certificate III Health services Assistance, and Assistance in Nursing, students joined students from across the region at the Cairns #GOHealth Careers Expo.

Dozens of exhibitors across all fields and facets of the health care industry were present, offering an interactive, immersive health career experience. The simulated scenarios and guest speakers helped bring healthcare to life for these future health professionals!

Cairns #GOHealth Careers Expo

Science Ambassador

Year 9 Aspire, Senior Physics, and Certificate III in Health Service Assistant students attended a presentation by the 2025 Young Science Ambassador, Selina Ward, recently. This visit aimed to provide students with insight into university life, career pathways in science and healthcare, and the value of research.

Selina shared her personal journey from high school to university, detailing her experiences with accommodation, study requirements, and balancing work and education. She outlined her career progression from studying nursing to working as a nurse, moving into research, completing a master’s degree in epidemiology, and now pursuing a PhD. She also shared insights into her research work in Samoa and the broader field of epidemiology.

The students found the session highly valuable, gaining insights into:

university life, including the costs, workload, and importance of balance to avoid burnout
career flexibility, understanding that changing paths is possible and sometimes necessary
the reality of research careers, realizing that research involves fieldwork and offers diverse opportunities beyond working in a lab
the PhD process and the challenges and rewards of a research career
the significance of epidemiology and its real-world applications
the ability to study and work overseas, including opportunities in China and the USA
the acceptance of failure as part of success and personal growth
understanding that university is not the only pathway, and that it is okay to explore different options before committing to a career.

The visit from Selina was highly worthwhile for students, providing valuable insights into university life, research careers, and the flexibility of career choices. Students appreciated hearing from someone who navigated various career directions before finding her passion in research.

The session inspired students to consider their own pathways and reassured them that uncertainty is normal, and opportunities exist in many forms. Overall, this visit successfully broadened students’ understanding of science, healthcare, and university experiences, making it a beneficial and enlightening session for all who attended.

This visit was made possible by the Business Liaison Association and the Australian Institute of Architects, whose support for this program is greatly appreciated.

Selina Ward, Science Ambassador

Aquatic Practices

Year 12 Aquatic Practices students are learning about wild caught seafood verses farmed seafood. This week, they cooked barramundi for taste testing by willing staff members, who then completed a 13-question survey for the students to use in their assessment task.