Lauren Blackwell

Ask me about
- Moving away from home to study
- Getting experience before you finish university
- Building a network
- Not knowing what you want to do as a career
About me
- Regional Background
At school, I enjoyed lots of different subjects, and my favourites were Maths C (specialist), Chemistry and Drama. I thought I would be a doctor or a biomedical scientist but ended up applying for a double degree in Engineering and Science.
After school, I took a gap year to work as a teacher aide, which I loved, but I felt ready to start learning again. I began university in 2019 and quickly realised that Chemical Engineering (my enrolled major) wasn’t right for me. I took an elective course on coding, loved it, and switched majors, so I ended up graduating with specialties in Software Engineering and Chemistry.
While I studied, I worked in all different software, chemistry and education jobs, and before beginning my graduate role as a Software Engineer at Rio Tinto in 2024.
About my role
- Curious
- Logical
- Observant
- Practical
- Resourceful
Software engineers are responsible for creating all kinds of digital tools which run on everything from a phone or laptop to a smart doorbell or robot vacuum cleaner. At Rio Tinto, they focus on ways to support mining operations through software solutions. My current project helps arrange travel and logistics for the thousands of workers who travel to the Pilbara region of W.A. for work, but others are focused on tracking land usage, water management or even modelling ore distribution across a site. Software engineers work in teams to ensure that their product is fit for purpose, accessible to all users and works correctly. Communicating with designers, end users and other experts is a really important part of the job.
Education
- Queensland Certificate of Education
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Computer and Software Systems
- Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
Subjects
- Chemistry
- Drama
- English
- Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
- Physics
- Science
- Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)
Awards
- Gladstone Ports Authority Student of the Year (2017)
- QUT, Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship (Academic) (2019)
- QTAC Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarship (2019)
- National Council of Women QLD, Office for Women in STEM Bursary (2019)
- Shell Energy, Scholarship for Women in IT (2023)
Hobbies
- Cooking
- Gymnastics
- Painting
- Reading
- Swimming
Pets
- 1 Dog

15 year old me!!
My career journey
-
Started my first job
-
Graduated from high school
-
Began university
-
Graduated university
-
Started working at Rio Tinto
My typical day




My employer
