Dream Big: Girls Who Dream, Change the World Excursion
Dream Big: Girls Who Dream, Change the World Excursion
On Tuesday 4 August, our Year 9 students had the opportunity to meet 2026 Australian of the Year and Australian astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg. After school, the Year 9s were hosted by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, where they joined other students from girls’ schools of Adelaide. Dr Katherine Bennell-Pegg inspired and amazed each person in the room by her hard work and dedication to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. Dr Katherine Bennell-Pegg spoke to us about her background as an engineer, her training in the army, volunteer work, and her sports and leisure activities, all of which helped her in her selection to be included in the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Training Program. She also described her experiences within the training program, such as survival training in the snow and in the water, falling in a plummeting aircraft to simulate zero gravity, and being strapped into flight simulators so her body can become accustomed to G-forces. She spoke about the importance of finding balance in life and not burning out to achieve dreams. Contrastingly, she also explained that sometimes things are “just a slog” and sometimes work must be endured (including homework!) to achieve your dreams.
Ms Laura Flynn
Middle Years Mathematics Coordinator
Year 9 students sHARED:
“The way Dr Katherine Bennell-Pegg spoke about her experiences made us want to become an astronaut.” Nakeesha
“She was very inspiring and it was interesting to hear about her different experiences.” Leila
