REUBEN JOHN ANTOLIN , left , accepting a nursing award from ACT Health chief nurse Veronica Croome at International Nurses ; Day celebration ,

NURSING student Reuben John Antolin received an award for his contribution to the profession of nursing and midwifery during celebrations of the 2017 International Nurses ’ Day recently .

Antolin is a third-year full-time student at the University of Canberra and works part-time as a nursing assistant for the ACT Nursing Agency .

ACT Health chief nurse Veronica Croome presented the award to Antolin .

Supervisors and colleagues said they admired the Filipino student for his dedication and passion towards his work .

“ To become a good nurse you must possess the necessary knowledge , skills and attitude ,” Antolin said at the presentation .

“ I believe that as nurses we always have the opportunity to save lives and provide the best possible care for our patients , which enable them to feel better and have a positive outlook in life . ” 4 BIANCA MONTIEL

By MARILIE BOMEDIANO

IT TAKES remarkable creative talent and gumption in the industries of science and technology to make a mark in the area of civil aviation design engineering , a perceived strictly male domain .

To see a young woman move in and shake the system to become one of a few ‘ top guns ’ in the business is utterly remarkable .

After only four years out of Canberra Institute of Technology , Kingston ’ s Celeste Oringo Cumberland has already designed major development projects at Canberra , Brisbane , and Gladstone airports .

Among some of Celeste ’ s responsibilities have been master planning , aeronautical impact statements , establishment and maintenance of airport occupancy charts , navigational aid positioning and protect surface modeling , jet blast assessment , special event planning , aviation and security planning , traffic management for construction works , service integration , and more .

She recently designed the parking and runway modifications for the introduction of international flights into Canberra by Singapore Airlines .

Celeste now works for engineering consultants SMEC as a civil aviation designer in Canberra .

“ When I was a child ,” she says , “ I used to want to race cars or be a professional athlete , both of which require starting from a young age and training intensely , which I didn ’ t get to do .

CELESTE CUMBERLAND

“ When I finished Year-12 , I was successful in an application for a trainee-ship with a small business that provided airport operation , planning and design services .”

Being one of the very few females in the industry , she says :

“ Women make up around 12-13 percent of engineers in Australia , and it is definitely noticeable in the aviation / engineering field that it is male dominated . The aviation specialists that I work primarily with are usually men .

“ I got used to this in the first few years of my career .

“ Occasionally , I come across men who act condescendingly towards me and underestimate me , but they are few and far between .

“ My team is very supportive and try their best to give me any help or advice I need to succeed , which I am very grateful for .”

Celeste finds her work fascinating .

“ It is always challenging me to grow ,” she says .

“ I have always had passion for aviation and consider myself very lucky I was able to find a job in this niche industry .”

For extra-curricular activities , Celeste is into different kinds of cycling - like cross country , downhill and BMX racing “ as well as spectating and participating in motorsports and working on cars ”.

Celeste used to take part in many Filipino community activities in the ACT ( Celeste can speak in Tagalog ) and was a member of the Randanihan rondalla for years .

Now she is only occasionally rides with the Canberra Pinoy Cyclists and attends Rondanihan performances .

Celeste was born in Blacktown NSW to an Australian mother and a Filipino father who now live in the ACT suburb of Conder . •