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Eliza Plummer

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school, just that I liked maths and that was about it. Off I went to study a Maths and Finance degree. At the end of uni, I really wanted to find a practical application of maths and so I landed a graduate role…

Riley Buckeridge

When I first left school, I worked in a café with my dad. I always thought I would become a nurse, but when a TAFE carpentry course came up, it really caught my interest. I decided to take a chance and enrol, and looking back, I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned in such a…

Theri Yip

Throughout high school, I had endless ideas about what I wanted to do, but architecture was the first path I decided to explore. After graduating, I took a gap year and then began studying architecture at university. It didn’t take long for me to realise that, while I loved the construction world, the degree itself…

Josephine Quantrill

After leaving school I had no clue what I wanted to do as a career! I took two years off study and worked in my hometown in Far North Queensland, surrounded by the beautiful natural environment. During this time, I came to the decision that I wanted to put my energy into helping the planet.…

Liv Smith

I left school intending on becoming a lawyer. However, found I didn’t enjoy studying at University, and sought counsel in my high school Legal Studies teacher, who advised me to try policing. I applied for the QPS and started at the academy at 20-years-old. Graduating September 2013, I began my career in Ipswich District. I…

Hannah Coster

I still remember my Year 6 class, where we would kick off each day solving fun math problems. That early exposure sparked a growing enthusiasm, especially during high school where I excelled in Math B and Math C and found enjoyment in the challenge. With no other field standing out, I leaned into my interest…

Kara Southwood

I never considered teaching while at High School, as I was pursuing a career as a classically trained ballet dancer. I was always interested in Science and did well in Biology, which led me to complete a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Ecotourism. Finding it difficult to secure work in these fields, I…

Nyree Hatzimihail

When I was in Year 10 at boarding school, I described my exact job I have now to my friends. I remember it so vividly. I would be working at a school but not teaching, I would be helping young people with advice and insights on their future options, and I would have a lot…

Chelsea Nancarrow

I often say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up – and honestly, do we ever really know? I once wanted to be a fashion designer but instead chose the broadest degree I could think of to build a strong foundation. I believe it’s my attitude, willingness to learn, and…

Ebony McGrady

I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after I finished high school. I worked odd jobs from IGA to stacking pallets for distribution at Big W. At 20 years old, I worked at a small-town farm that produced, packaged and sold potatoes to markets in Brisbane. I worked my way…

Donna Stace

From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a trade. I entered the resources industry straight out of school and earned my Mechanical Trade qualifications four years later. My career has taken me across oil and gas, construction, building maintenance, mining, and rail – both in Australia and overseas. Often the only woman…

Tayla Rowe

Not knowing where my application with the Queensland Fire Brigade would lead at 18, I took on a trade assistant role with a residential and commercial roofing company. After a year and a half, I moved to a residential construction company, where I discovered a deep passion for building and the industry as a whole.…

Jaymee Wicks

When I was in school, I enjoyed maths and science and being outdoors. The thought of being in an office all day wasn’t very inspiring to me! My dad works in oil and gas and suggested that I should do engineering, particularly environmental engineering, so I could have a job that pays well, a job…

Ameliya Gibbs

I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life when I was 17 and I followed my peers into a Psychology degree at university. I was 3 years in to the degree and still unsure of my future. I pivoted and graduated from a Bachelor of Public Relations & Communications thinking that…

Emily Wilson

When I was in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I had always found maths and science came most naturally to me and were the most interesting subjects. My grandfather, father, and uncle had all worked as blue-collar construction workers when I was growing up, so I had some…

Katie Minett

I began my career straight out of school, choosing to pursue an apprenticeship rather than complete Year 12. From the start, I knew I wanted to take a different path. I was proud to be only the third female apprentice ever at Energex (at the time), where I went on to spend the next fourteen…

Kassi Picken

Some people know exactly what they want to do after school – some don’t. I thought I did, starting a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Management, but soon discovered my passion lay in project management. While working in estate management, I gained experience in sales strategies, budget management, estate maintenance, and civil construction. I…

Emma Klint-Pedersen

I have always loved building things, whether it was playing with LEGO or getting hands-on with projects. Throughout primary and high school, I really enjoyed maths and science but wasn’t sure how to turn that passion into a career. Luckily, engineering was offered as a subject in high school, and that’s when everything started to…

Chathra Pasdunkorale

Having migrated from Sri Lanka, I completed my last two years of high school in Australia before attending university to complete my Bachelor of Civil Engineering. I started my construction career as a graduate engineer on a major highway project. Here I was exposed to bulk earthworks, concrete batch plant operations, and concrete pavement construction.…

Charlie Wilkinson

My journey to becoming an Electrical Engineer has been anything but typical. Although I loved physics at school, my strength in English led me to study it at university. I quickly realised it wasn’t the right path and left to start an Engineering apprenticeship—becoming the only girl among 100 apprentices! After qualifying, I worked as…