(nee Mitton) 2001

Extra curricular: I liked sport, touch football and Rugby union being my favourite. Lasting friendships, bruises and the odd broken bone were my biggest take aways. In hindsight, I think exercise and social side of team sports was probably incredibly beneficial in managing any stress and keeping healthy.

Favourite subjects: I liked history and English, but I LOVED art. Maybe this had something to do with my three favourite teachers Mrs Stead, Mrs Philips and Mrs Gibson but regardless those subjects helped shape my original career plan.

Favourite memory: Mrs Gibson would give me the keys to the art room where I would hide away for hours filling in free periods painting. The art room was like a little dungeon, perfumed with oil paints and thinner fumes and I was in heaven.

What next: After leaving THLHS, I went to university at University of Canberra and the Australian National University studying a double degree with plans to become a secondary teacher. Like many, I discovered other passions and instead pursued a career in human resources and recruitment.

My role: I have been with Qantas for seven years in many different capacities, including managing the graduate program and group pilot resourcing.

Currently I am Manager Base Operations for QantasLink, which is our regional airline. I oversee management of bases Australia wide, including Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Reporting to the chief pilot I work closely with our Customer Experience, Fleet and Standards departments to ensure smooth and safe operation of bases throughout Australia.  I am also responsible for Pilot Resourcing and contributing to the Nancy Bird Walton Project which aims to increase the female pilot population to 50/50 over the next decade.

Career highlights: I absolutely love my job! Every day is spent with brilliant minds, travelling to amazing places domestically or internationally and soaking up some spectacular views along the way (from the flight deck if I’m lucky).

Aviation is loads of fun but I’m also lucky enough to work for an organisation that shares my values and leads the way in Australia on issues like sustainability, gender diversity and closing the gap.

My advice: Millennials will apparently have in excess of six careers which I find so exciting. Having worked in organisational development, I understand the concept of creating and developing talent and diversity of experience and exposure is key.

My advice would be to take every opportunity to travel, experience culture and challenge yourself personally and professionally – ultimately it will only make you stronger. Live life.

If I could do it all again: I made up my mind early that I wanted to be a teacher.

I wish I had taken more time to explore careers and spent less time feeling guilty about not using my tertiary studies.

Wise words: Respect your educators, we were blessed with some pretty patient and down to earth teachers which made subjects like Maths more tolerable, less torture.