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Angela Gu

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school. I was good at maths and science but didn’t know if I necessarily wanted to work in that area. I felt like I wanted to explore my options and see what happened. I started studying human biology and chemistry in university but…

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…

Madi Burke

In school, I assumed my career path would be in engineering because I liked maths. In Year 11, I attended an “Aspiring Women in Science” conference, which inspired me to study chemical engineering at uni, aiming for the food and beverage manufacturing industry. During my 3rd year, I realised job opportunities in that field were…

Aarie Soma

I made the choice to go into engineering as I enjoyed both maths and physics and this seemed to be the most natural choice. Once I started engineering I began to slowly understand that underpinning the technical work was a humanitarian cause. Engineering to me is all about finding the most effective solution to a…

Tanja Albairmanni

I enjoy being known as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. I was raised as a kid to be a future medical student, and I loved math and science. It was only after my high school chemistry teacher recommended I attend a UQ Women in Engineering event, did I first learn what engineering actually was. After…

Cristina Olivie Molina

I enrolled in Industrial Engineering in Madrid after school mainly because it was a broad field, and, although I knew I had an interest in engineering, I wasn’t sure what career I wanted. Through various courses, I found Electrical Engineering interesting and decided to study it further. I spent a year abroad in the US,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Nicole Berghuis

In Grade 11, we had a Scenes of Crime Officer attend our school for a presentation. I thought it was pretty cool, however, I found the Police uniform intimidating and was unsure of myself and how I would/could get from where and who I was to where and who I wanted to be. Between school,…

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…

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…

Caitlin Edgar

My dad has been a Police Officer since I was 8 years old and I was always inspired by his service to the community. Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to do something that was exciting and challenging, so being a Police Officer just seemed right for me. When I left school, I didn’t…

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,…

Brodie Barker

After graduating high school with some uncertainty clouding my career path, I embarked on a journey to explore various interests and passions. I stumbled upon the intricacies of law, intrigued by its ability to shape and safeguard society with the possibility of being able to help people. With a newfound determination, I pursued a law…

Legal Counsel

An in-house lawyer in responsible for: – providing high quality and practical legal advice and support to the business, in a timely manner; – reviewing and preparing various legal documents; – developing and operating a legal framework within which the business must comply to meet its legal obligations under statute, contract or otherwise; – co-ordinating…