ASE has a long history of sending students to the International Science School (ISS), having been doing so since 1968. The ISS is a free science education programme run biennially by the Science Foundation for Physics at the University of Sydney. ASE's role is to select the students and organise funding to enable the students and escorts to attend. The idea for the Science School was initiated by Professor Harry Messel in 1958 and was originally run to update science teachers about the latest scientific developments and innovations. However, in 1962, the focus of the School shifted to honour excellence in students and to encourage them to pursue careers in science. This article presents some combined reflections from the 2009 5 for Sydney scholars: (1) Jessica Whiting; (2) Josh Roberts; (3) Paul Bramley; (4) Roxann Holder; and (5) Stephen Cox.