Keryn Welk

When I was in high school, I had a lot of friends. And when they dropped out before completing year 12, so did I.  So I decided that I was going to go to TAFE and get a certificate in beauty therapy. Working in beauty therapy, I discovered that what I liked most about the job was what was in the ingredients of the products that I was using rather than what they were actually doing to people. I'd often look at the labels on the ingredients and wondered what is in them, what is the chemistry that's making these things work. But then I ended up having a child, and I left my job and I didn't go back. 
I was an at-home mum and it was a little boring, so I applied to go to uni, and I got in. At the time, it was the hardest thing I'd ever done.  And I had a little bit of difficulty with chemistry and maths, but I got through. During my studies at university, I discovered that I was good at geology, so that's the path that I followed.

The best thing about working hard to achieve what I have now is that my studies were rewarded with a scholarship by the company that I now work for. I did not have to go out and look for a job; the job came looking for me.  Geology is not just about working in a mine, it's also about working in the environment, taking care of the environment. It's everything to do with the earth.