In her second year of studying Civil Engineering at Victoria University, Cathy is gaining practical and relevant experience with us through the Smith Family and the Business Council of Australia’s Cadetship to Career program.

 

Launched in 2017, the program is designed to help young people make the most of their education and prepare them for the future. WSP is one of the Business Council of Australia employers providing several cadetships to students this year.

 

Joining our transport team, it is a terrific fit for where Cathy’s interests lie. A desire to develop our cities infrastructure of the future, Cathy’s aspirations to build a career in the transport sector is based on her belief that it will be an industry that keeps on developing and changing the way we move for years to come.

 

This inspiration was not always so clear cut for Cathy, “I wanted to become an industrial designer growing up, I’m passionate about the arts and communicating through design. As my relationships with my year 12 teachers developed they encouraged me to pursue my talents in science and mathematics and so here I am today.”

 

Cathy’s pursuit of education is a story of purpose and resilience. Reaching out to The Smith Family in her first year of high school Cathy built a relationship with the service who in turn helped her to navigate her educational years.

 

A charity that helps disadvantaged Australian children to get the most out of their education, The Smith Family provided financial assistance for such things as text books and uniform. Cathy says, “The financial support provided by The Smith Family removed the burden of worry for funding of the essential resources needed for school and allowed me to focus purely on my studies.

 

“Their services extended beyond the finances, they provided me a mentor who I check in with twice a year, they helped provide me opportunities to pursue the ‘Tertiary Scholarship’ at Victoria University, which I ended up winning, and also provided me the opportunity to be a part of the Cadetship to Career Program.”

 

Since joining WSP, Cathy has been an integral member of our Geotech team. Reflecting on her time she says, “It is a bit of an ironic story, Geotech was probably the one subject I wasn’t overly fond of at University. Having now been placed in it, I’ve been able to get a deeper understanding of things like soil and how they can impact our designs. Having now gained that level of understanding it has certainly swayed my perspective. I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing my skills in the area.”

 

Fast-forward to the conclusion of her degree, Cathy hopes to remain in the transport sector, “I’m going to remain open minded when it comes to what part of the industry I want to head in but for now I’m really enjoying gaining as much experience as possible and can’t wait for what the future holds.” 

 

Click here to find out more about The Smith Family and the Business Council of Australia’s Cadetship to Career program.

 

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