Anna O'Leary

Bachelor of Engineering graduate Anna O’Leary says there’s one quote that always sticks in her mind when she thinks about her career path.

"I once heard a professional engineer say engineering is like a passport: once you have it, so many doors will open up for you in your career as it is such a diverse degree and you can go anywhere with it.” 

Studying at Waikato brought this quote to life, where Anna says the highlight was the many opportunities that arose during her studies.

“A standout was participating in an engineering hackathon and being able to present at the annual Australian and New Zealand chemical engineers’ conference, it was an amazing way to connect with other students and push myself out of my comfort zone."

Another was the site visits; I found them highly beneficial as I could actually see a real-world application from what I was learning in the classroom.

She adds that the qualification exposed her to various ideas and considerations beyond calculations and theory, such as project management, costing, sustainability, ethics and even culture. Her studies have led to a role at Beca, where she continues to be exposed to a wide range of work.

"I absolutely love it; they are involved in a range of projects with various companies and I’m excited to get involved and keep learning as much as I can.”