"I have three younger siblings, so it's great that I have been able to hang out with them and my parents while I'm here," she says.
It's been a busy few months for the Taranaki student, who competed in the youth challenge at International Dairy Week Australia in January.
Monique was part of a 10-strong group of teenagers from New Zealand who attended.
The event in Shepparton, Victoria, attracted 180 exhibitors, about 1000 dairy cattle from across Australia and more than 6000 visitors.
"It was such an amazing learning experience. The New Zealand team ended up finishing second in the youth challenge, which was so cool," says Monique.
Despite competing as a team, the teenagers were split into three groups, tackling clipping, handling and judging.
"My sister Isabelle and I were part of the judging team. It gave us such a buzz when we found out we'd placed the cows in the same order as the main judges for the competition," she says.
Prior to flying out to Australia, Monique was one of 23 people who attended the National All Dairy Breeds Youth Camp in Stratford, which was organised by Holstein Friesian NZ.
Each person had their own heifer calf which they had to feed, groom, teach to lead on a halter and get show ring ready.
There were workshops on animal health, breeding and showmanship skills, and participants were taught how to use electric clippers to trim a heifer's coat.