Real futures: Year 11s & 12s dream big at QUT summit
A four-day university summit at QUT in Brisbane has inspired curiosity, ignited passion and deepened understanding of possible career pathways for 305 high school students from 148 schools across Brisbane, Queensland and northern New South Wales.
The high-achieving students were selected for the prestigious 2026 QUT Future You Summit, held over the winter school holidays, after impressing the university with applications that laid out their aspirations for life after school.
They included Natasha Lemon (Pine Rivers State High), Mary Faulkner (Aviation High) and Jasmine Kroker (Aviation High) – pictured above, left to right – who took part in the summit’s Health Heroes stream, one of 10 hands-on streams based on real-world careers.
The summit gave the Year 11s and 12s a chance to connect with QUT staff, students and alumni during workshops, challenges and seminars, ahead of the big study and career decisions they will have to make at the end of high school.
Good Counsel College Year 12 student Tony Yang travelled from Innisfail in North Queensland for the summit and also did the Health Heroes stream.
He was one of 85 regional students provided with free Brisbane accommodation by QUT.
“What I loved the most about the QUT Future You Summit is how it really showed what uni life would be like,” Tony said.
“I did not know anyone from the boarding house or from my stream. But getting put into a new environment without knowing anyone is as realistic as it would get for me, as I will be moving away from my rural area into the city for uni.
“Making friends was easier than expected as everyone was really nice and cooperative and the sessions helped show what lectures would be like and what to expect, alongside the guest speakers sharing advice and their story.”
Tony hopes to return to Brisbane next year to study pharmacy.
“Choosing this career will allow me to help give medical help to those in need, as I believe everyone has the right to be able to get medical attention,” he said.
“Becoming a pharmacist will allow me to connect with the community and give them the medical attention they need.”
First Nations student Lilliana Iwikau from St Monica’s College in Cairns also has a goal in mind after her week at QUT doing the Impactful Engineers stream.
“I have loved experiencing the different disciplines of engineering and the opportunities it has given me to meet new people, as well as hear from special guests and speakers,” she said.
“The summit has also given me an informative insight into what uni life is like and the opportunities that QUT has to offer.
“I’m interested in studying engineering at uni because I enjoy solving complex problems and I have always loved learning mathematics at school.”
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil congratulated the Year 11s and 12s for taking time out of their school holidays to invest in their future.
She said the impact of the flagship outreach program continued to grow. In this year alone, 106 former Future You Summit participants from 76 schools commenced studies at QUT, enrolling across 51 degrees from engineering, business and law to health, design, creative industries and emerging technologies.
The Future You Summit’s workshops, talks and showcases tackled diverse fields ranging from AI, data science, aerospace engineering and robotics to exercise physiology, climate science, fashion, and digital storytelling.
QUT alumni who took part in the 14th summit included law graduate and Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who gave a keynote address on day one about his journey from campus to parliament.
Sustainability advocate Lottie Dalziel also returned to uni to share entrepreneurial insights from the Banish recycling and education program she started after graduating with her QUT double degree in health science and media and communication.
The program also included architecture alumnus, designer and educator Rashan Senanayake, whose contributions included giving a keynote address on the opening day, working with students during the week and running a parent information session on the closing day.
The 2027 QUT Future You Summit will be held during next year’s winter school holidays, with applications opening in early March. Keep an eye on the summit site for details.
The 2026 QUT Open Day on July 26 will be the next big chance for Year 11s and 12s to explore QUT’s campuses, talk to staff and students, and learn more about courses and careers.
Plan ahead by taking the Match My Skills quiz for course inspiration, then checking out the QUT Open Day program and creating a personalised program via the Open Day Planner.
Visitors can also register before the day to get updates and go into the draw to win a Macbook Pro.
Main photo at top of page: Natasha Lemon (Pine Rivers State High), Mary Faulkner (Aviation High) and Jasmine Kroker (Aviation High) at work in the lab during the Health Heroes stream of the 2026 QUT Future You Summit.
Media contact: Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, media@qut.edu.au
