Along with earning a spot at the NYSF, Ellee was awarded a Victor Chang Award for her achievements in science. 

Ellee along with hundreds of other students from across Australia will take part in NYSF at the Australian National University in Canberra next year. 

“I was really excited and I just think it is an amazing opportunity,” she said. 

Held across 14 days, the NYSF will split students into different fields such as chemistry, medicine or biology and allow them to network with lecturers and experts in the field. 

“Our group goes onto university lectures and to meet with mentors and other scientists that work in the field and we do experiments and we go on field trips to other institutions,” Ellee said. 

The NYSF will also open the doors for Ellee to take part in larger programs on an international scale. 

“So after that one (NYSF) is done, it opens the opportunity to go to the London International Youth Science Forum,” she said. 

“After you’ve done the initial program, there’s also a chance to become an alumni… you come back the next year and help the next Year 12 group.” 

Ellee was selected for the forum after successfully applying through the Rotary Club of Cowra. 

“I had interviews with Cowra Rotary, then I had to go over to Grenfell and I was interviewed with 20 other kids from our district,” she said. 

“I was one of the select few that got chosen to be a part of it.” 

She said the forum will be the opportunity of a lifetime for a student from a small, rural high school. 

“Coming from a comprehensive high school, I feel privileged to be chosen against the private schools,” she said. 

“Being from a rural town in NSW, there aren't many opportunities when it comes to events like this, so being offered the chance to something like this is fantastic.” 

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