My School to Skies Experience

In the holidays, I was lucky enough to be selected to attend School to Skies – a camp for Year 13 wahine who are looking to join the STEM industry. This programme is run by the NZDF, specifically through the Air Force. I spent a week in RNZAF Base Ohakea and had the best time! Donned in the classic Air Force flight suits, we were able to experience all the different aspects of STEM, and what was involved in their roles as a career in the Air Force. 

During my time in Ohakea, we participated in lots of awesome activities. My personal favourites were reconstructing a plane, flying an A-109 simulator, and getting a tactical flight in an NH-90 (to name a few). The camp allowed me to experience areas of STEM that had previously been out of reach, like engineering. Being able to finally have a hands-on experience has renewed my passion for STEM and helped me figure out where I want to go after my time at Villa. I never thought I’d be so grateful for the opportunity to get grease on my hands!

School to Skies also focused on different learning aspects like leadership, life skills and dealing with stress. Many valuable skills were learnt, from knowing how to change a tyre, to how to remove an actuator on a helicopter engine! However, the most valuable thing I took away from my time on Base was the knowledge I received from existing women in the Air Force. They answered every question we had with honest answers, allowing us to grow a deeper insight into what life is like both in the military and in a STEM career as a woman in a predominantly male industry. They were the role models that we all looked up to, and I know many of us were inspired by our instructors and camp leaders. Overall, I had the best time and strongly recommend this camp to anyone considering joining the military or a STEM career. Give it a go and have fun getting your hands dirty!