Technology feeds curiosity – and it needs inquisitive women

Believe it or not, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I was in high school. That's not all that common in a world of ever-changing, endless possibilities. But I knew I wanted to work in technology.

I had one of those great Physics teachers as a 15-year-old. You know the kind of educator that helps demystify subjects in a relevant and engaging way. One that himself has a genuine fascination with a topic and makes learning feel like you're on a quest for answers in real time together. He explained that science is all about cause and effect: understand it, challenge it. I just loved that idea. 

Technology feeds my curiosity and my absolute obsession with finding solutions. It continuously evolves and it's an incredible feeling to be right in the middle of it – which I am every day at Superloop.

The reason for sharing my story is that I truly believe I have one of the best jobs in the most exciting industry. Every day I'm learning, helping craft innovations that change how people get information, how they interact with tools that improve their personal life or make their business more efficient. I get to spend each day finding ways to better what has come before. It's an absolute joy, even when it's difficult.

But as a woman, the path to STEM still isn't a completely obvious one. Fortunately for me, while my parents couldn't understand why a girl would want to do engineering, they fully supported my choice.

I'm sure they had concerns about how rewarding my career path would be. They needn't have. I've worked in four countries - starting in Malaysia designing a telephony switching network, then to London to work on the fibre optics network buildout, then to Bern to design more DSL and FTTP technology when broadband internet services were taking off in Europe.

Now I call Sydney home and work in a very exciting organisation where I get to test new ideas, learn from real customer feedback, and help deliver award-winning innovations to customers. And I've been able to do this, all without giving up my other priority: my family.

I can't think of a better moment than International Women's Day to encourage all the curious, clever, inquisitive women and girls to have a crack at applying their creativity, their logic, and problem-solving skills to tech. You are absolutely needed, you are absolutely wanted, and you are absolutely going to have the time of your life shaping our futures.