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Emily Wilson

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…

Katie Minett

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…

Olinda Garcia Gomez

I attended an all-girls school in Peru where arts, math and literature were my favorite subjects. After finishing school, I was still unsure about what I wanted and with the guidance of my father, I enrolled in science but was still open for change. However, a three-month apprentice working in a remote mine gave me…

Kassi Picken

Some people know exactly what they want to do after school – some don’t. I thought I did, starting a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Management, but soon discovered my passion lay in project management. While working in estate management, I gained experience in sales strategies, budget management, estate maintenance, and civil construction. I…

Emma Klint-Pedersen

I have always loved building things, whether it was playing with LEGO or getting hands-on with projects. Throughout primary and high school, I really enjoyed maths and science but wasn’t sure how to turn that passion into a career. Luckily, engineering was offered as a subject in high school, and that’s when everything started to…

Chathra Pasdunkorale

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.…

Kaitlyn Long

Leading up to the end of high school, I struggled to pick a career I wanted to study for, torn between my ‘competing’ interests in graphics, legal studies, and physics. My first part-time job as a jewellery sales assistant also sparked my passion for problem-solving, customer communication, and people management. When it came time for…

Kyra Galm

When I was in high school, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I enjoyed graphics and physics, which naturally pointed me toward engineering. While I found engineering interesting, I struggled with the theory-heavy side of university, and maths was never my strongest area. To make sense of it all, I looked for…

Lily Hanna

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…

Sherry Woodhouse

I lacked a clear career path after school. In year 10, a 3-day multimedia class at the University of Queensland sparked my interest in the field, and I planned to pursue it after high school. However, family influence steered me towards an undergraduate degree in Information Technology (Systems). After graduating during the Dot Com bubble,…

Mikaela Charlton

After high school, I enrolled in university with an interest in fashion and marketing, though I wasn’t certain about my career direction. Initially considering a gap year, I chose to start university to broaden my horizons and meet new people. During my studies, I spent a lot of time traveling. It was in my final…

Tara Timperley

All through school, I was known as the sporty kid, I won age champion every year and just loved being active. I always knew I wanted to do something sport or exercise related when I finished school, but I had no idea exactly what that would be. I went to university and studied a Bachelor…

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…

Barbara Patterson

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…

Fei Fei Wang

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…

Marlene Alaiach

In high school, I had no idea what I wanted to study. I picked Applied Science from a uni course guide, hoping to become a doctor. After two years at Griffith University, I realised a Bachelor of Applied Science wasn’t for me. With my Grandad and Dad both builders, and my older brother studying Civil…

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…

Rebecca Azzopardi

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…

Grace Upton

My journey to where I am now has been anything but straightforward. After finishing school, I wasn’t sure who or what I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted a job where every day was different, full of problem-solving, and involved my passion for numbers. Encouraged to pursue engineering, I graduated with a bachelor’s…

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…