Turning a childhood fascination into hands-on industry experience

A supportive community 

The Women in Engineering and IT (WiEIT) program inspired Raina to choose to study at UTS. She was drawn to the university’s active efforts to connect students with industry and support women in STEM from the very beginning. 

“I saw that UTS did school outreach programs to actively encourage younger women to pursue a career in STEM, something I didn’t see from any other unis at the time. They also had strong partnerships with industry, which really showed their commitment to supporting women like me.”

UTS learning

Now in her second year of a UTS Electrical and Electronic engineering bachelor's degree, Raina is turning her childhood passion into real-world skills.

“I didn’t know much about uni life when I started; I didn’t go to Open Day or Orientation. I just sort of threw myself in. First semester was rocky, but once I realised, I needed to take things seriously, everything changed.”

And it changed fast.

Thanks to UTS’s strong industry connections, Raina joined the Lucy Mentoring Program where she was paired with a mentor from Alstom, the global company behind Sydney’s light rail and metro trains. The experience helped her polish her resume, prepare for interviews, and meet engineers doing the work she’d always dreamed of.

“That program took away so many nerves. It made me feel like I belonged in the industry.”

Raina also found her people in the UTS Motorsports team, where she’s the Low Voltage Lead, helping to build and race electric vehicles in national competitions. 

“Through the team, I’ve learned to make printed circuit boards, wire, crimp; things we don’t always cover in class. It’s real, applied learning.”

Those hands-on experiences led her to an internship with Performance Electrics, a company that delivers power systems for trains. It was a full-circle moment.  

“When I mentioned I was a train nerd, the person interviewing me loved it. I never thought my obsession would be useful, but here we are.”

Why UTS? 

“It was the Women in Engineering and IT (WEIT) program that drew me to UTS. I saw they had a whole section dedicated to women, outreach, and scholarships, and they were really clear about their industry connections. That stood out. And yeah, the engineering building looks pretty cool too!”