Olivia’s path to Mechatronic Engineering at UTS.
When Olivia Alvarez first discovered UTS at her high school careers fair, she was curious but not yet certain about uni. It wasn’t until she attended UTS Open Day that she felt a real connection.
“It gave me the vibe of a uni I’d want to attend,” Olivia recalls. “The people were friendly, and the hands-on activities made it feel real and exciting.”
Now in her third year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechatronic) degree, Olivia is thriving in ways she hadn’t anticipated when she first enrolled.
Like many students, Olivia wasn’t entirely sure about what she wanted to study. She initially considered Food Science and even Interior Design. But UTS’s Flexible Engineering learning options gave her the freedom to explore the engineering pathway, which was her first-degree option.
“I studied Flexible Engineering until my second year. It allowed me to trial Intro to Civil Eng, which I felt wasn’t the right fit, before switching to Mechatronics Eng at the end of my second year.”
On belonging in a male-dominated field
It wasn’t until Olivia moved into Mechatronics Engineering in her second year that she noticed how few women were in her classes. Still, she’s always felt welcomed.
“Most of the guys are friendly. It’s not an unwelcoming space for me as a woman; but it’s definitely a space that needs more women.”
Looking ahead
Olivia has built robots, designed complex mechanical systems, and led STEM workshops. She’s learning not just how to build machines, but how to build a future with impact.
“I’m learning that the UTS Engineering degree doesn’t just teach you what’s in the industry, it teaches you how to work in teams, and how to problem-solve. Which you learn at a deeper level through the societies and clubs on campus.”
Her advice to future students
“Go to Open Days. Go to events. Talk to students. That’s how I figured it out. The more you see and hear, the more you’ll understand whether engineering, or any degree, is right for you.”
You can explore flexible pathways and discover the engineering discipline that suits you, too.
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Through hands-on projects, Vaibhav applied engineering principles to real-world problems.
Webpage
The world is changing fast, and engineers are driving that change.
Webpage
Hailing from Magura, Bangladesh, Taskira Islam graduated from UTS in 2017 with a Master of Engineering (Extension) in Environmental Engineering. In 2022, she became a Traffic Engineering Officer at Transport for NSW.
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No two student journeys look the same, and that’s the beauty of studying at UTS. For Amelia and Yuka, their paths show that your degree can give you the skills, experiences and confidence you need to discover where you truly fit.