After graduating from SCBC in 2018, Maria went on to study at Curtin University – Western
Australian School of Mines, completing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honors) in Mining. Since
graduating, Maria has published a paper in the International Society of Explosives Engineers
(ISEE) and presented this paper in Texas, making Maria the youngest published speaker for the
ISEE, and she has been elected to the Board of Directors for ISEE Australia. Currently, Maria is a
Drill and Blast Engineer at Pilbara Minerals, a career that she says was aided by Mr Simon Watts,
Mr Peter van der Kwast, Mr Gideon Choo and Mr Tony Lee, who pushed her to reach her full
potential.
One of Maria’s core SCBC highlights includes developing friendships that have endured to this
day. She has fond memories of laughing until they had tears, but also of supporting each other
through tough and stressful times.
Another highlight was the leaver’s trip to Boracay in the Philippines, which Maria describes as
“an experience of a lifetime that I shared with my closest friends!”.
Helping with the construction of the local school, hiking in the mountains, bringing food to cut-off villages, singing
songs, tutoring kids, and being immersed in the culture for a short time was incredibly rewarding.
Maria is a highly driven engineer in both Iron Ore and Lithium, and she looks forward to
expanding into other commodities and into Drill and Blast Consulting. Maria is looking forward to
being more involved with ISEE Australia, giving back to younger people wanting to learn more
about the explosives industry and helping them make connections with industry professionals.
“Connections helped me to choose this career path, and I am very lucky to have had that”.
We congratulate Maria on her success, and we are grateful to have been a part of her journey. It
is always wonderful to see our past students reaching for their purpose.
