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Mariya Novakova

If someone had told me in high school where I’d end up, I would have laughed. I was born in Bulgaria (Eastern Europe), and my childhood was marked by very rough economic and political conditions in the country. At school I was very diligent and always striving to do well academically. I attended a specialised…

Emily Garland

In high school, I planned to study law but didn’t get the grades, so I started an Economics degree—and absolutely hated it! Luckily, I had randomly selected two electives in history and politics, loved them, and switched to an arts degree. After a few internships overseas and at home in Adelaide, I graduated with a…

Hannah Goodfellow

I am collaborative, creative, and a strong communicator, dedicated to fostering genuine connections and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. I thrive in environments where I can bring structure and clarity, while also encouraging a positive, forward-thinking team culture. Whether I’m solving operational challenges or helping shape strategic direction, I focus on making sure…

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…

Marlee Wendt

I never knew exactly what profession I wanted to be but I knew I was good at reading, writing and talking. So I followed this and initially went to university to study Journalism. I quickly realised being a journalist wasn’t for me, but fortunately, a teacher pointed me towards Public Relations and Communications. My first…

Nina Nguyen

When I was in grade 7, I knew I was going to be a lawyer. Initially I thought I would become a divorce lawyer. But I quickly knew I wanted to do more than just be in a court room and argue about cases theoretically. While it took me a while to navigate towards the…

Zoee Shelley

I was good at science and math and liked figuring out how things worked. My dad was an engineer, and I got to try out environmental engineering when I was in year 12 and decided it was something I could see myself doing for work. I didn’t quite get the marks I wanted so my…

Maxine Price

I did my Bachelor of Science at The University of Melbourne and majored in Immunology. While doing my degree, I realised that I really hated lab work and did not want to go further with my studies! I was happy when uni was over but I was very aware that my degree was in a…

Caitlin Damiani

From a young age, I’ve been very creative and thought outside the box. I have a love for math, but creativity always prevailed. The majority of my classes throughout school reflected that. When it came time to choose a university path, I selected architecture. It allowed me to be creative while also giving me the…

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…

Tammy Dance

I had no idea I would be the Assistant Operation Manager at the Port of Brisbane. I would come out to the Port as a teenager and hang out with friends riding dirt bikes and playing loud music. I started my career in childcare and did work experience in Year 12 that led into a…

Diana Geaboc

My journey was anything but typical! I did not know what I wanted to do when I finished school, but I knew I wasn’t done learning. I started one university degree (Law), but halfway through realised it wasn’t for me. After a lot of reflection, I decided to try Engineering. I liked finding creative solutions…

Aleksandra Edwards

Growing up, I was forever changing my mind about what I wanted to be when I grew up – an accountant, a journalist, a lawyer…I still wasn’t sure by the time I graduated year 12, but I was accepted into uni and started a Biomedical Science degree. Tertiary-level science wasn’t for me, so I switched…

Emma McGivern

When I was in high school I was interested in math and science and also the environment, so I studied environmental engineering. When I finished university, I applied for various graduate jobs and was successful with Rio Tinto. I was not targeting mining specifically, but I immediately enjoyed the job, especially when I moved to…

Claudia Zapata Aquino

Since I was a kid, I loved maths, which led me to pursue engineering. From a young age, I was captivated not just by how things were built, but by how they were made. By 15, this curiosity drove me toward Industrial Engineering, where I could combine my analytical (math) skills with my interest in…

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 chose electrical engineering with a focus on power generation, which led to an exciting opportunity with a major power generation, transmission, and distribution company in Pakistan. My career began as…

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…

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…

Katherine Hall

I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school, though I felt pulled to go to university. I decided to hedge my bets, and study a double degree in Business (Advertising) and Creative Industries (Media & Communication). There were elements of my degrees that I really enjoyed (consumer behaviour, strategic communication,…