I experienced a catastrophic earthquake in my home country in 2008. That’s the starting point of my career focusing on disaster management and natural hazards research. In 2015, I moved to Australia to do my PhD in Disaster Management, during which I conducted fieldwork and research to investigate the disaster management following the 2010-11 Christchurch…
I enjoyed biology and chemistry at high school and hoped to continue studying these subjects at university. I first studied in China but was placed in a program that didn’t suit. After a year, I made the choice to start again in Australia, studying chemical and metallurgical engineering. After graduation, I went on to work…
Some people grow up knowing exactly what they want to be; that was definitely not me! High school was not a great time for me, and I missed a big chunk of my senior years due to illness. After graduating, I enrolled in a dual engineering/science degree and picked aerospace for my engineering major (because…
My journey may be slightly different than the rest! Before graduating from high school, I was offered a scholarship to study at an engineering university in Malaysia, one owned by the national oil company. That opportunity set my early career path towards the oil and gas sector, which suited my desire to travel and work…
When I was at school, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, and honestly, I’m still working it out. I went to university hoping it would buy me some time, so I enrolled in a science degree at UQ and sampled everything: engineering, psychology, technology, human movements… basically career…
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…
In Year 10, I was torn between engineering and architecture, so I did work experience in both fields. I chose engineering because of the diverse career pathways it offered. During university, I worked part-time as a cadet engineer for a structural consulting firm while completing my degree. After three years in structural consulting post-graduation, I…
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…
I grew up loving science and solving problems, which led me to study chemical engineering and eventually earn a PhD. I started my career working in power stations, learning how energy is made and how to keep things running safely. Over time, I became a leader in renewable energy, managing wind farms and helping communities…
I grew up in the UK and always had a passion for geography, which led me to study Environment and Business at university – a degree combining sustainability and business principles. During my studies, I completed a year in industry at Network Rail, the UK’s largest rail infrastructure company, as an Environmental and Sustainable Development…
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…
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…
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…
I grew up wanting to be a Cardiologist in high school, however, when it got time to actually applying for universities, I applied for a Bachelor of International Relations at the Australian National University. After one semester, I had already made the decision I did not want to spend my whole life arguing politics, and…
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.…
I originally wanted to be a pilot – I thought getting paid to travel the world would be amazing. I applied for the Air Force but didn’t get in, and suddenly I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I’ve always been good at maths and problem solving, so I spoke to my mum about…
I was born in Poland and moved to a small country town in Qld when I was 4 before trialing island life in PNG at the age of 12. I loved these cultural experiences and it gave me a broad perspective when I moved to Perth half way through year 9. When I left school…
At high school I really enjoyed geography and in particular how water shapes coastal landforms. I was good at math, physics and chemistry. So, at a university career day I spoke to someone about a new course starting in civil and environmental engineering and I was assured this course involves working with water and landforms.…
Coming out of high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I enrolled in a bachelor of commerce, majoring in actuarial studies. Later in university, I discovered a passion for econometrics—the use of statistics and data to understand and predict economic trends. I went on to complete honours and a master’s in…
Growing up, I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. It wasn’t until my school’s career advisor recommended looking into Chemical Engineering (when I was in Year 12) that I considered becoming an engineer – up until that point, I thought all engineers built roads and cars, which I wasn’t super interested in. Not…