What's your job about?
I am a water resource engineer at Tonkin and Taylor in Hamilton. My role involves providing analytical and design support to projects in the water engineering discipline. This includes projects in water quality, stormwater management, river science and engineering, dam engineering and many more. I have also been involved in work across other disciplines including environmental engineering and contaminated land. Some of my most interesting work to date has included:
What's your background?
I am one of two kids and come from a large multicultural family. I was born and raised in Hamilton and am of Tainui-Maniapoto descent on my fathers’ side and Scottish and Irish descent on my mother’s side. I attended Hamilton Girls High School (HGHS) where I was Proxime Accessit. During my time at HGHS, I made a great core group of friends, some of whom I now live with. I went directly from school to the University of Waikato where I studied a Bachelor of Engineering. I graduated at the end of 2020 with first-class honours. While I studied, I was the office manager at a clinical psychologists’ office, and I also interned for two summers at T+T before securing my current position.
When it came to deciding what to pursue after school, I was very unsure what I wanted to do. I had always loved maths and science so knew I wanted to do something technically but was unsure which direction I wanted to go in. I decided to pursue engineering because I love problem-solving and was interested in a career where you are constantly tackling new problems and thinking outside the box as well as contributing in a meaningful way to society. Another factor that influenced my decision was being raised by a single mum. There were times when things were tight, and I wanted to ensure that I was able to provide myself with a life where I would be financially secure and could give back to my family.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely someone with a different background could achieve an engineering degree and practice in this area. I believe there is real value in diversity and different perspectives and world views that are brought to the table by people of different backgrounds. Great minds don’t always think alike and that is where their power is. For anybody wanting to pursue a career in this area, an interest in science and problem solving would be an advantage.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The thing I love most about my job is being presented with a problem and working to solve it. While learning a new skill or method to tackle the problem can be challenging and stressful, the sense of achievement you get once you complete it is very rewarding.
The work culture in the Hamilton water team is also a highlight. There is always someone to turn to when you’re stuck, and everyone is invested in seeing you grow as an engineer and are willing to help and support you along the way. Coming to work is enjoyable when you’re surrounded by a cool group of people.
What are the limitations of your job?
The biggest limitation in my job is yourself. If you aren’t willing to put in the work to learn and grow, then you won’t succeed. You don’t need to be the best at maths and science to be an engineer – you just must be willing to put in the time to learn.
Being on the shorter side also provides its limitations when conducting fieldwork – I have been carried across streams in a fireman’s hold because I was too short to jump them!
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student