Bella wins trip-of-a-lifetime

Bray Park student Isabella Rossow has won the trip-of-a-lifetime with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) – and a chance to meet her sporting heroes.

Bella is one of five winners of UniSC’s Best Field Trip in the World competition and will head off to the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast and K’gari (Fraser Island).

Across four days, winners will go to the Dolphins v Rabbitohs NRL match at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday and see crocodiles and koalas at Australia Zoo.

Winners will enter the world of virtual reality at UniSC, go surfing and meet costal erosion experts at Noosa and discover the stunning K'gari (Fraser Island).

Bella will meet her heroes on the Sunshine Coast Lightning netball team and watch them play the Swifts at UniSC Arena.

The Year 11 student at Bray Park State High School, said there was a lot of “squealing and organising” once she realised she was a winner from 1600 video entries.

“It’s a really good opportunity and I thought a lot of people would enter because it looked pretty amazing,” said Bella, who wants to study paramedicine.

“Because I have a pretty big netball background, the most exciting thing is probably the Lightning game.

“This will be my 11^th year playing and sixth year umpiring, so netball is a big part of me.

“My mum has been a big fan of me and my sister through academics and netball and she supports us from the sidelines.

“So taking her with me on this experience will be such a cool thing.”

The other winners were Baxter Burke of Caloundra, Natania Low-Kilamelona of Cairns, Thomas Keating of Kandanga and Jessica Warren of Booyall.

They will engage with leading UniSC researchers such as Professor Peter Timms who is driving Queensland’s development of a vaccine for koala chlamydia and Dr Javier Leon whose drone work is changing the way we understand beach changes.

“It’s a real-life UniSC student experience because our students get to complete work integrated learning as part of almost every degree we offer,” UniSC Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global and Engagement) Alex Elibank Murray said.

“Our campuses are located across three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (of five in Australia), the only place in the world where three biospheres are connected."

A biosphere is globally recognised an ‘international site of excellence’ where people live and work sustainably alongside active conservation and sustainable development.