Skip to content
ComponentOne:

Isabella Martin

All throughout high school I felt pressured to go to university. It was very much drilled into my head that you didn’t succeed unless going to university straight after school. And so, I did! Having no real idea what I wanted to do, I knew I was passionate about criminology, so I decided to get…

Karen Wallace

After leaving school, I pursued two passions: Accounting and Teaching. I began my career in Accounting through a traineeship while completing a Bachelor of Commerce, gaining over 20 years of experience across Chartered, Not-for-Profit, and Commercial sectors. Following a career break, I embraced a new direction after receiving a scholarship to study Mathematics Teaching at…

Amber Heaney

Teaching was a career I came to later in life, after spending many years working across retail, banking and customer service. I commenced university at 35 and became an English teacher, where I developed a passion for supporting young people to grow in confidence and discover their potential. In 2025, I transitioned into Career Practice…

Katie Fairbanks

With over 20 years’ experience in the education sector, I began my career as a Physical Education teacher before moving into Senior Schooling and career development. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed helping students discover and achieve their desired pathways during and beyond school. As both an educator and business owner, I have always seen…

Rebecca Isakson

Before discovering my passion for education, I built a successful career in business, leading finance, operations and strategic improvement across multiple industries. That experience shaped my strengths in systems thinking, data analysis and organisational leadership, which I brought with me when transitioning into teaching 7 years ago. After completing a Master of Learning and Teaching…

Harriet Krueger

My journey is not so different to most others, I had NO clue what I wanted to do all throughout school and even through my first years of university. I stuck to studying what I liked and what I was interested in (economics and psychology), purely so I wouldn’t get bored during the long 4…

Celeste Tan

I did not originally plan to become a surveyor after leaving school and considered careers such as accounting, medicine, and engineering. While waiting for my STPM results (equivalent to the SSCE), I completed LCCI Levels 1–3 and considered pursuing accounting before accepting an offer to study Geomatic Engineering at a local university. After graduating, I…

Kat McDonnell

As a kid, I was obsessed with re-planning my room and begged my parents to take me to open house inspections, imagining how I’d redesign every space. After high school, I wasn’t sure what to do—architecture sounded amazing, but the maths and science felt scary at the time. I finished a Bachelor of Commerce, but…

Roshea Buksh

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do when I left school, but I knew I wanted to work with people and have variety in my day. I took a gap year to work and travel, exploring different paths. After experiences in retail, hospitality, and travelling to Italy, I realised I enjoyed helping others…

Elena Arens

Driven by curiosity about how business works, I started my career in marketing and brand management and made it all the way up to Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Russian Bobsleigh Federation. To take it to the next step, I went to Singapore to study an MBA. At that time innovation and…

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…

Mikaela Charlton

After high school, I enrolled in university with an interest in fashion and marketing, though I wasn’t certain about my career direction. Initially considering a gap year, I chose to start university to broaden my horizons and meet new people. During my studies, I spent a lot of time traveling. It was in my final…

Estefania (Stef) Larranaga

My professional journey began in Uruguay, working in my family’s business while studying law. After graduating and gaining legal experience, I felt a strong desire to broaden my horizons. Together with my husband, we ventured overseas to explore new cultures and improve our English, eventually settling in the vibrant landscapes of New Zealand. Our journey…

Rose Pedler

I was living in Queensland from 12 years old and completed my Cert 3 in Business Administration straight out of high school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I also knew that university wasn’t for me as I struggled to study and complete assignments. I now know that I am ADHD. After…

Jaime Burnell

In high school, I assumed my career path would be in physiotherapy or nutrition due to my love for sports. At the same time, I excelled in Maths and Economics, which broadened my academic interests. My mother arranged for me to see a careers counsellor, who conducted strength-based and psychometric testing. This process ultimately led…

Lucy Gregory

I always enjoyed maths and science at school, and puzzles and problem solving in my free time so I thought engineering might be a good fit. I didn’t know much about engineering going into the course at university, but I quickly learnt there were so many options with a range of disciplines from civil, environmental,…

Kethmi Upeka

When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor. But growing up in a Sri Lankan family, becoming an engineer was one of the top professions my mum encouraged me to consider. Looking back, I’m so glad I chose this path because it suits me perfectly, and the work-life balance at Department of Transport…

Candice McLean

I was 5 when I told my parents I wanted to be a lawyer but they were most surprised I continued with this career path. After graduating from Griffith University on the Gold Coast (my home town) I spent the next 7 years in private practice. I had my first son 10 years ago, after…

Sarah Webster

I wanted to be a teacher until grade 11, where I was exposed to some accounting and business subjects that I really enjoyed. I selected a commerce degree as I needed a higher year 12 result to study it. I didn’t really know what being an accountant would be like. I finished my university degree…

Machel Tamani

I went to high school in Melbourne, then completed my last two years of high school in Gladstone. Whilst in Gladstone, I had to complete two subjects via online distance education, as well as three subjects at the high school I attended. When I finished high school, I was set on studying Economics at university,…