Student showcase

Alan Wightman

Alan Wightman recently returned to New Zealand after spending two weeks in Canberra at the Australian National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). He says “it was the best two weeks of his life!!

The NYSF is a program designed for students who are especially interested in physics and engineering, and who excel at science and maths. Three New Zealanders, three South Africans, two Swedes, and about 100 Australians attended.

Over the two weeks he saw some amazing stuff including plasma fusion reactors, space-rocket engines, lasers that burnt holes in walls, a teleporter, the NASA deep space tracking observatory.. and the list goes on.

Alan is now determined to study engineering (probably aerospace) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and he is trying to save up enough money to go to Sydney later this year to go to the University seminars.

The NYSF really fueled his interest for science and engineering, and his passion for traveling.

At the moment Alan is a Year13 student at Otumoetai College. In this photo he is pictured with  Prof.Hans A Bachorat NYSF science dinner.