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Julia Gartley, a mineral process engi-
neer from Taseko Mines Limited, spoke
to the group about her current project
– extracting niobium. One of the com-
mon threads in the speakers' messages
was that they had each arrived at their
careers via circuitous pathways, teach-
ing the students the reality of the career
search. Speaker Tom Broddy, a senior
mining engineer also working with
Taseko Mines Limited, advised, "Life
is about choices. Then serendipity takes
over. Enjoy it."
When asked the proverbial question,
"What do you want to be when you grow
up?" few students typically respond that
they want to work in mineral exploration
and mining. But after a day of listening,
engaging and learning, many of the stu-
dents on this field experience could see
something of interest among the wide
range of opportunities in the indus-
try. A spark was ignited; perhaps a path
will unfold.
One of the students' favourite speak-
ers was Nicole Westcott, who works in
environmental services with Stantec.
Her initial career was as a jazz musician.
After a stint as an English major in uni-
versity, she landed a job as a receptionist at
a junior mining company. Eventually, she
began writing for the company, and her
career took off. Her pathway illustrated to
the students that choosing a career in the
industry may take some time and experi-
mentation. It may also involve some
amazing people. When Westcott went
to a remote diamond camp in Inuvik, the
Inuk chef there discovered that she had
a favourite dish and, in a caring attempt
to make her feel comfortable so far away
from home, served it to her in camp. That
dish? Coconut cream pie, of course!
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