Take Your Seat

everyone's doing a lot. especially in university. especially when the system tells you that the degree alone isn't enough to stand out — so you say yes to the committee, the expo, the extracurricular, the thing you're not even sure you want, because everyone gets the same degree and you cannot afford to be the one who did nothing with it. but at some point it stops being ambition and t...

when was the last time you had a truly original thought? not something you scrolled into. not something something you simply absorbed without notice. not an opinion you borrowed from the comments section and made your whole personality. this episode, it's just us — mariefinah, ashlyn, and sienna — and a conversation we've all been needing to have. we're talking about the small, sneaky ways we've s...

In this episode of Take Your Seat , we sit down with Sophia Schulz — engineer, multimedia artist, and storyteller to explore what it means to follow curiosity beyond the conventional. From robotics labs and international research to immersive STEAM exhibits like Resonance , Sophia shares the risks, joys, and revelations of navigating a niche, unconventional career that blends technical mastery wit...

In this episode, we’re sitting down with Michelle Delves , an AI Operations Engineer at Air New Zealand, a classically trained musician, and someone deeply involved in women-in-tech and wellbeing initiatives. Taiwanese and British, raised in the Middle East, now living in Aotearoa, Michelle’s multicultural upbringing has shaped the way she thinks, builds, and shows up across tech, music, and commu...

In this episode, We're sitting down with mechanical engineer Renée Young , whose career spans New Zealand, Canada, and the US. In this episode, we unpack Renée unexpected entry into engineering, the courage it takes to trust yourself in a male‑dominated industry, and the resilience required to keep pushing forward. Renée shares how creativity, curiosity, and community shaped her path — from be...

In this episode of the Take Your Seat podcast, we're sitting down with Chantelle Haywood, a graduate radio access network engineer at 2Degrees, NZ. We discuss Chantelle's journey into engineering, her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field, and the importance of mentorship and community. Chantelle shares insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, the significance of authenticity i...

In this episode of Take Your Seat , we’re sitting down with Sophia Lee , a fourth-year Civil Engineering student at the University of Auckland, to talk through what her internship experiences at KiwiRail and Frequency have actually been like — day to day, not just on paper. Sophia speaks candidly about starting internships without feeling particularly confident, learning by observing how people wo...

Welcome to the very first episode of Take Your Seat ! If you’re starting engineering, thinking about it, or just curious about what university life is really like, this episode is for you. We’re taking a seat with first-years (almost second-years!) Isabel Paroli and Hannah Wellington as they share a real look at their first year at the University of Auckland; a rollercoaster ride full of challenge...