The Western Australia Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE WA) provides scholarships annually to support Western Australian university students specialising in fields of study that will lead to a professional career in petroleum engineering.
In 2017, SPE WA offered four scholarships with a value of $2,500 aimed at engineering students in Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry. These scholarships are aimed at recognising, encouraging and assisting talented and passionate individuals who are the industry’s up-and-coming energy professionals.
The recipients of the 2017 awards were selected based on academic performance, extra-curricular and volunteer involvements, and demonstrated interest in the oil and gas industry.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2017 scholarships:
- Rahul Suresh, Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Australia
- Kyle Colvin, Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University
- Jarrod Hastie, Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University
- Kieran Trump, Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University
The scholarships were presented by SPE WA 2017-18 Chairperson, Mitch Sherston, at the SPE WA Annual Black-Tie Fundraising Ball on 29th July 2017.
SPE WA 2017 Scholarships Recipient – Rahul Suresh
SPE Scholarship Award Recipient Rahul Suresh Receiving His Award from SPE WA 2017-18 Chairperson, Mitch Sherston, at the SPE WA Annual Black-Tie Fundraising Ball on 29th July 2017
I am in my final semester anticipating graduation at the end of 2017 from the Master of Professional Engineering course at the University of Western Australia (UWA) specialising in Mechanical Engineering. I have also completed my Bachelor of Science majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a second major in Management in 2015.
The Oil and Gas industry is very dynamic. It offers plenty of opportunities to tackle the world’s toughest challenges from a technical, business and a sustainability standpoint. Furthermore, with the global demand for energy on the rise, gaining safe access to new Oil and Gas reserves is one of the biggest challenges we face. I enjoy being challenged to develop creative solutions harnessing the power of technology which is a passion stemming from previous internships in the resources, management and engineering consulting sectors. This passion has also been fuelled through successful entries into international and national competitions run by Shell, Microsoft, Accenture, Ericsson and Telstra in which resulted in prototypes of solutions addressing global challenges ranging from global warming to renewable energy. With the 4th industrial revolution upon us, I want to be a leader in this revolution which will shape the future of energy by developing safe and sustainable solutions improving exploration and production capabilities and my key drivers are being curious and wanting to be a positive influence on the world’s sustainability.
Something I am passionate about is building a better world and I want to positively impact on the current challenges the world faces no matter how small my role is. An example which illustrates this is my co-founded start up, Sprinkless, where a group of my colleagues who share the same ideology of positively impacting on global issues are working together to tackle the rising methane levels in the Agriculture industry which is contributing significantly to global warming. Within the Oil and Gas industry, given my lack of technical experience within this space, a structured graduate program in addition to industry mentors will enable me to broaden my knowledge of the industry, my technical role as well as providing me with the professional skillset to succeed in any environment. Going forward, I aspire to becoming a knowledgeable and reputable leader in the energy sector, so that I can inspire others in their roles and foster a culture of disruptive innovation to continue to meet the growing energy demands of the future.
As a recipient of this prestigious scholarship, it will ease the financial burden of studying full time and allow me to focus on my passions which as aforementioned involve being creative and solving global challenges. Furthermore, this scholarship has helped confirm to myself that the path which I am creating is in the right direction and is a big motivation booster to continue to be inventive and shape the future. I am truly humbled to have been chosen as a recipient of this prestigious scholarship and I am extremely grateful to have supportive family, friends and mentors who are always by my side and challenging me to be better than yesterday.
SPE WA 2017 Scholarships Recipient – Kyle Colvin
SPE Scholarship Award Recipient Kyle Colvin
Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Scheduled graduation November 2017.
Three things enticed me to a career in oil and gas, the first was the international travel opportunities, the second was the hard technical and logistical nature of work and the third was the diversity within the industry. Coming to the end of my degree its these three key aspects that continue to drive my passion for a career in the oil and gas industry, I look forward to moving from a university environment into a commercial environment and discovering firsthand what it means to be a part of the oil and gas industry.
In the next 6 months I will achieve my first career goal and graduate from university as a Petroleum Engineer. Fortunately, I have already secured a graduate position with Monadelphous Engineering Associates Pty Ltd. I am extremely excited about the position and cannot wait to start building a reputation within the industry. My goals for the future are to establish myself as a hardworking, reliable and talented employee. I want to continue to use the knowledge gained from university and my time at SPE Curtin to help improve environmental, economic and social sustainability across all aspects of the oil and gas industry.
The 2017 SPE WA Scholarship will allow me to reduce the number of hours I am currently working giving me more time to commit to my studies and my SPE student club position. I am privileged to be awarded the Society of Petroleum Engineers Scholarship 2017 and I will take great pleasure in promoting SPE’s values.
SPE WA 2017 Scholarships Recipient – Jarrod Hastie
SPE Scholarship Award Recipient Jarrod Hastie
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering, set to graduate from Curtin University in November 2017.
I have been interested in the oil and gas industry from a young age. My intrigue began in high school, with the introduction to units such as geology. Here I learnt about rock formations and how over millions of years and with the right conditions, hydrocarbons are able to form deep in the outer crust of the earth. These processes were fascinating to me, and eventually became the driving force behind my decision to study a degree in this area.
While learning about the complex exploration, evaluation and production methods of hydrocarbons at university, my interest continued to grow. Furthermore, as I learnt how important the production of oil and gas are for the global energy market, I knew this career choice was one I wanted to pursue. Going forward I hope to apply my skills and passion to a graduate engineering position, and eventually work all around the globe on challenging and exciting projects.
Being a successful applicant to this scholarship, I intend to take full advantage of the opportunities and resources now available to me. This award will greatly assist my academic performance, by giving me the potential to expand my knowledge through networking and unique experiences. It is a privilege to have been awarded this scholarship and I am incredibly thankful to SPE WA for the opportunity to grow and progress my career in the oil and gas industry.
SPE WA 2017 Scholarships Recipient – Kieran Trump
SPE Scholarship Award Recipient Kieran Trump
My name is Kieran Trump and I am currently in the final year of a Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering degree at Curtin University, I am due to graduate at the completion of this year (2017).
Over the past century human development has been heavy reliant on the oil and gas industry, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. I believe working in the oil and gas industry offers the opportunity for myself to contribute to the continual access and use of hydrocarbons which have proven to be central to human development.
The nature of the hydrocarbon industry presents some of engineering’s most challenging and technical tasks, with no two tasks ever being the same. For someone such as myself, who prides themselves on their ability to solve problems and think outside the box, this is a very exciting opportunity to put my skills to use in real word situations.
My future career goals are to complete my degree In Petroleum Engineering with First Class Honours and acquire employment with a world-leading hydrocarbon production company as a graduate engineer. From there I intend to integrate myself into the company as a Petroleum Engineer and continue to develop my technical, and leadership abilities which I will aspire use to increase the value of the company.
Receiving the SPE WA 2017 scholarship will assist me financially, reducing the financial stresses of studying fulltime allowing me to focus more on studying, furthering my leadership abilities and completing work experience.
