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Kirsty Bilton

When I left school, I was set on being an electrical engineer, but through my undergraduate work experience, I realised that traffic engineering was far more interesting and tangible, so sought out work opportunities as a graduate traffic engineer after a three-year post-graduate stint overseas. I started out in a consultancy working on diverse projects…

Linda Ziebell

In high school I wanted to be a pilot in the Airforce, so a good friend suggested doing an engineering degree first and then going to the Australian Defence Force. I started university at 17 and was away from home. It was difficult. I took some time off and travelled overseas before returning to university…

Lucy Borland-Sentinella

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,…

Sana Fazal

I had a set journey right from the beginning where I knew I had to choose between two career paths – medicine or engineering. I got inspired to enrol in electrical engineering and specialise in power generation.  This led to the opportunity to work for a large-scale power generation, transmission and distribution company in Pakistan.…

Piper Workman

In high school, I was always into maths and science, which led me to pursue engineering. I’ve always had a passion for the environment, and I knew I wanted a career that would make a real difference, so I decided to specialise in photovoltaic engineering, in other words solar panel engineering! During university I landed…

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…

Kerli Metsoja

I vividly remember being in grade 4 and the teacher wheeling out the classroom TV and putting on An Inconvenient Truth starring Al Gore. That 118-minute documentary ignited a spark in me for helping the environment. Growing up I considered many careers – chef, paramedic, graphic designer – but none felt quite right. Clearly, I…

Jacinta Burns

Ever since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by how things work and where they fit in the world. This led me to study science at university, where I discovered Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which is like a superpower for understanding the world. Imagine being able to see hidden patterns and connections just by looking…

Jennah Williams

Over the past decade and across three continents, I have been fortunate enough to work in and around my two greatest passions: Marine Science (specialising in anthropogenic impacts and shark science) and STEM education. I hold a Bachelor’s (Hons) and Master’s degree in Marine Science from North Wales University Bangor (UK) and a Master’s Degree…

Madeleine Seehaber

I am a Data Scientist in the Spatial field. As a high school student, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. All I knew was that geography by far was my favourite subject. From establishing this, I did a bit of research into university courses that related to geography. I…

Mary-Ellen Feeney

I have always wanted to study science. I thought this was field science, but I discovered I like telling stories (with data) and helping teams learn new ways of doing things (with technology), especially working with other disciplines (collaboration). I studied a lot of field geography and ecology at university, however when I did my…

Demi Pye

I grew up on the Tweed Coast and had planned to be a physiotherapist / exercise physiologist or a PE teacher after my undergraduate and post-graduate studies. I had commenced my career as an exercise physiologist, specialising in musculoskeletal injuries and occupational rehabilitation management. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in mid-2014 (end…

Ashleigh Mansfield

I am a Senior Consultant at Skotte Group applying my project management skills to large infrastructure projects and if you told me this would be my job when I graduated high school, I wouldn’t have believed you! When I was preparing to leave school, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. However, I…

Rachael Kelly

I always loved to draw and use technology in an artistic expression. I also spent a LOT of my time as a child on my dad’s building sites, where he built speculative homes. Looking back, it makes perfect sense to me that architecture would be a natural outlet and career path. That didn’t stop me…

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…

Clare McKellar

In high school, I wanted to study philosophy and economics but I was always very interested in geography and nature, loved the environment from a young age going camping with my family and exploring. However I never thought I would study it, so I enrolled in an Arts Degree to study philosophy and politics. I…

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…

Grace Engwerda

When I was in my last year of high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do at university or for the rest of my life. All I knew was that I enjoyed learning and more specifically I loved learning about Science and Mathematics. I had no idea that you could study both quite…

Julie Smith

When I was in primary school, I had my heart set on becoming a fighter pilot with the Australian Air Force. This dream influenced the subjects I chose at high school and upon completion of year 12 I was still considering this path. When the time came to decide, I was hesitant to leave home…

Jenny Whitaker

I had no clue what I wanted to do when I finished school.  I dropped out of my first degree (business) after 1 semester and started full time work as an admin assistant while I figured out what I wanted to do.  The State Government Computing Centre (now CITEC) was recruiting for computer operators and…