Rosie is a part of the She Codes Plus Brisbane cohort for 2022, and with the Brisbane Showcase coming up next week, Rosie has already managed to secure a role as a Specialist Business Analyst in Asset East Technology Delivery with BHP.
Rosie’s tech journey started early in her career, where following her graduation from 9 Eylul University in Turkey with a degree in BEng Mining Engineering, she was awarded with a PhD scholarship by British Coal, where she joined Artificial Intelligence in the Mining Sector (AIMS) research unit at Nottingham University. Here, Rosie developed a software program that calculated dust concentration and deposition levels in and around surface mines which provided the user with relevant dust control measures to ensure that the operations met their jurisdictional dust level requirements.
Rosie has always felt passionate about technology and its applications in the resource sector, and continually followed up on the emerging trends. Two years ago, through a mentoring program Rosie was a part of, she became aware of the She Codes program through presenter, Alex Ma, Manager in Technology at BHP. In his presentation, Alex highlighted the importance of tech in our lives moving forward, and this is where Rosie decided that a role in tech was going to be her career path. After conducting more research on the She Codes program, Rosie became inspired by She Codes founder, Kate Kirwin, with her vision and sheer determination to address the gender gap in technology, and aim to open-up more opportunities for women in tech.
When asked how She Codes has impacted her career path, Rosie shares that she was challenged with this program, as she saw herself continuously being exposed to new learnings in computer science, but after the initial few months into the program she has become more resilient, curious and creative and developed a “can do” approach.
“My journey with She Codes has given me the confidence to further pursue my career and that led me to apply for the BHP Technical Entry Program.”
“My application was successful and I have now joined the BHP Asset East Technology Delivery team,” Rosie stated.
When asked what her favourite thing about She Codes Plus is, Rosie expressed her amazement surrounding the impact that She Codes has already made in Australia in addressing the gender gap in tech.
“The community She Codes has built is extraordinary, and the unique teaching style with the mentors teaching from the heart is so unique that I feel it’s beyond anyone’s imagination.” Rosie stated.
When asked what success looks like to her, Rosie shared her thoughts.
“To me success is accepting yourself as you are, and being proud of yourself for having a go at solving a problem that may be a part of a complex and challenging puzzle – because that’s where real growth comes from.”
“Success is creating strong friendships, being able to share your happiest and saddest moments with your community who will be there for you no matter what.”
“A week ago, as a part of our group presentations at our Saturday She Codes Plus class, my group introduced Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. I have resonated with her following quote: “Every setback is just another chance to further strengthen those fierce bravery muscles you’re building by getting back up and trying again.”” She continued.
Rosie believes that She Codes is beyond just a coding program – but that it’s also about creating a tight-knit community that stands together and lifts each other up. The Plus program has not only taught her advanced technical knowledge, but it has also allowed her to feel a sense of belonging to the She Codes community, which she will continue to be a part of for life.
You can get in touch with Rosie via LinkedIn here, or to find out more about She Codes Plus, you can watch our playlist of interviews conducted with our network of alumni and mentors via our Youtube channel here.