1994 School Magazine

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61rls' Gramniar School agrisbaiic 1994

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HOME Rl. IN! ebecca Roodveldt's nattiral aptitude for softball I}as matured into the expertise that won her a Sports Scholarship for Softball to The University of Queensland. in ITer first year there Rebecca is studying for' ITer BA. ITTajoring in Human Movement Studies and Psychology As a scholarship holder. she InList continue as a representa- live at a I\iglT level of competition. and play for' the University Club at the AListraliaiT University Games. w^Ticl\ this year were held in Woollonoong. 2411T September - 1st Octobei in addition. Rebecca play, ed tl}is year for' Saints A1, and was a representative in the Brisbane Open and Queenslancl Un9

A GOLDEN OPPOR'I^lit

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ne of Queensland's top tv. ,o engineering students,

Rebecca O'Dayer, a former Gram- *, mar girl has her finger on the **; switclT for that light at The end of * , the career tunnel. "11 ITas jobs, " replies Rebecca "Mining engineering Is a career goal whiclt I set half way through orade twelve. I became interested after an excursion with the school

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Rebecca O DMVei

tealtTs. She ITas found time, also, to coach 11Te BGGS Softball B team who were pre- in jets, and the BGGS Hockey 15 lean} who were third in Brisbane club competition WillT ITer commit- merit to sport clearly evident Rebecca's of- for of a Scholarship by, Pittsburg State Uni- versity (U. S. ) for' 1995 looks like another step on The road to realising ITer polen- Iial. The school re- Rebecca's 101Ces In

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to the Indooroopilly mine. Being able to speal< witl\ The people there gave n}e the inspiration needed to be doing what I am doing now. " Rebecca O'Dayer has been given a tremendous opportunity to kicl< start ITer career in mining engineering. After being granted one of only two scholarships offered by the Australian Institute of Mining and MetalILirgy, life ITasn'I been The same for this first year Uni. student "My first year at the University of Queensland has really been a natLiral extension of Year 12, " Rebecca said. "Allthe Engineer- ing students (mostly male) study maths, physics and clTernistry But next year we ITave to commit ourselves to OUT chosen career path in engineering - mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical or n}ming While her ftiture career opportunities could extencl over- seas, Rebecca could find ITerself working in Western Australia, Soul!T Australia or here in Queensland She is quick to point out that expansion of ITTinera! develop- merit in the Gulf is an attractive element when considering future eiTlployment. Another option Rebecca will be consider- ing, is consulting work - but only after gaining practical experience On ITTine sires Rebecca wants to keep I\erself well informed on important issues in mining development. A positive step she has Linder taken is 10 apply for nTembership to the AListralian Institute of Nilning and A, letalltirgy. SITe \\'ill also be chasing work experi- ence over The Christmas I}o1idays, IToping to pick Lip some work if engineering is a ITiale-dominated world, imagine what mining Gnuineering will be like for Rebecca. TITere are \, ery, few women in In ming. Mining developments more often than not are located at very remote locations and inuclT of tlTe work can be PITYsically demanding Times are changing. I}owever. an <1 larger At1st Taiian mining companies ITave accepted eqtial OPPorttinity employment T encourage girls to consider a career in mining engineering seriously, " Rebecca said. "YOLi coulcl be working any\\, here in AListralia. Lising new technologies, and there certainly seems to be significant economic grown\ in this sector. " YVETTE VINCENT In a 11Tine

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Rebeccn Rood!. of of/ COURTESY or swornnNG I\IAGES

gratulates ITer warmly on ITeT achievements, and wishes ITer a fLilfilling fLiture career MICHELLE KOH

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ichelle Koh, who many of us IT\ay remember from

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last year, achieved a great Inariy , things in ITer five years at B. G. G. S .:. However, perhaps ITer greatest ;\**' achievement yet ITas been I\er suc- 11:11'- CGss in gaining an Electrical Engi- '11/1, ,:.'. ; neering SclTolarship froiTT the Uni- ;til' versiry of New South Wales. :. ' MIChelle I, ecame interestecl in the scholarship WITen she learnt 111at it offered industrial Training

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<1T), riteaning that she woulcl have the OPPoriLinity, to \\. orl< at recognised companies as part of I\er training. The Electrical Engineering Degree consists of five years study, willt 11Te requirement of sixty or so clays of IT. The scliolarship also offers financial assistance in The fomT of a yearly tillowance, so that the students can concentrate on their studies without wonTing about their financial situation

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