Championing women in technology with Ellen Ziegelaar

I am working for Rolls-Royce Australia Services as a service provider for the Royal Australian Navy. I’m currently in the role of Platform Systems Engineer with a background in mechanical engineering.

Since I was young, I always had a keen interest in physics and mathematics. As I grew up, I longed for a profession that would allow me to turn my passions into creating solutions that would solve real-world problems.

The subjects at the university could be challenging, especially the theoretical ones. When it came to abstract concepts, it can be hard to draw the link between theory and application.

It greatly helped once I was able to see the bigger picture. After learning about the theories, hands-on lab sessions and other practical exercises helped me see where pieces fit together in the wider scheme of things in real life — such as how an engine operates.

When it came to examinations, I’m a firm believer in finishing what you started. Keeping the end goal in sight is always a useful mindset to get through tough times! It’s a discipline I practise in my work.

My family has been very supportive of the Mercy Ships programme for many years. Hence, from the start, I always knew that I wanted to go and take on this experience.

It was also a bonus to be working with Rolls-Royce as it is a corporate supporter of the initiative. But the real turning point came when I attended a Mercy Ships presentation. The speaker was the second engineer on board the Africa Mercy. He is an ex-serviceman in the Australian Navy and hence, we had a lot of mutual connections. After learning more of the mission and the potential to change people’s lives, I was motivated to go. I pursued this opportunity and was greatly helped by the support of my Rolls-Royce managers. It made me appreciate the culture of the company.

They were extremely helpful throughout — from the time I made my decision to going on board. Everyone in the team, from the managers to my peers, made sure that I had enough time to prepare for my trip.

Some of my colleagues contributed toward my travel expenses, a gesture which was very generous and kind. Although I went on this mission alone, the whole experience has been an important team bonding exercise for me.

I went through different stages of nervousness and excitement before the trip. But it was truly the opportunity of a lifetime. I knew that this was what I’d always wanted to do and that finally I had the chance to do it. It was daunting going to Africa for the first time in my life. At times, I asked myself “What are you doing?” but it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I was an engineering storeman on the Africa Mercy. It is currently the largest civilian hospital ship in the world that has advanced facilities like five operating theatres, intensive care and low dependency wards. Teams on board the ship also serve local villages on shore with dental and medical assistance. 

This ship is a floating hospital which makes it a huge operation that requires a crew of 450 members! To help keep the ship running, I was put in charge of the ship’s technical inventory and supported the maintenance and repairs.

No two days are alike on board. One day, it can be quiet and you are doing simple stock taking and accounting for all the chemical quantities on board. This also includes ensuring that equipment and materials are placed in the proper place and under appropriate conditions. On other days, you can get requests by engineers that need various parts for replacements or you are tasked to repair damaged tools. 

And with so many things going on in the ship, the requests can pile up. Therefore, keeping all the stocks in their proper place and ready to go is important. Everything must be orderly or there would be chaos, endangering those in our care. This is where qualities like discipline play a major role in enabling processes to work. You become an important cog in a larger machine.

But it’s not all work and no play. During my breaks, there are plenty of activities on-board and on-shore. I keep fit with a running group, visit the local markets, play with children of the families on board and visit scenic places with the new friends I made. It’s great to know you’re making a difference while creating new experiences for yourself.