Bella Pruysers - Bass Coast Health 

IT Support Officer

When and why did you get interested in STEM?

I have always been interested in STEM. I have always had great affinity for all things technology, even from a very young age. I went on to study Mechanical Engineering and worked as an Engineer for a bit before I decided my true love was Information Technology. I went on to study Cybersecurity and I’m now working as an IT Support Officer at Bass Coast Health. I love everything about my job.

Do you think it is important for more women to work in STEM?

We need to break the glass ceiling. Girls need to know that there’s a place for women in the STEM world. You can look at a few organisations like Women in STEM, that are doing some great things globally. They are empowering young women to pursue STEM.

What is one thing government/schools/organisations could do to increase the number of women working in STEM?

Showing the world that STEM can be fun and that women have the same opportunities men do. A lot of women get discouraged from pursuing a career in STEM as it’s stereotypically “a man’s world”.

Name a woman who inspires you, who has worked, or is working in the STEM field – and why do you admire her?
Rebecca J. Cole – She was the second African-American woman to become a doctor in the US. She persevered through racial and gender discrimination and forged a career in medicine.

This year’s IWD theme is around innovation and new technology – what is one prediction you have for future technology and how it will impact our lives?

Technology is ever evolving. I reckon in the not-so-distant future, AI is going to be become fully autonomous. I cannot even begin to imagine what the impact would be.

What advice would you give to your 12-year-old self in terms of pursuing a career in technology and science?

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