When Lieutenant Loretta isn’t fighting for our country as a marine engineer, she’s volunteering to fight fire
After studying mechanical engineering at uni, Loretta wanted a career that was exciting and outside the realms of a regular office job. Not one to do anything by halves, she decided to join the Navy and also became a volunteer firefighter.
Now, as a deputy marine engineer officer, Loretta is in charge of making sure all the machines and equipment on a Navy ship are running smoothly. She also manages the fuel
and water onboard.
Throughout her career, Loretta has used her STEM skills to solve problems and make important decisions. One of the most meaningful jobs she has undertaken was making sure a ship was fixed and ready to go back to sea.
Making a difference
Her volunteer firefighting work has also been incredibly meaningful, having responded to more than 600 incidents and even fighting the Black
Summer bushfires of 2019-2020. During that period, she served as a leader on multiple teams and, despite the difficult nature of the work, she says it was valuable being able to put her skills into practice and then take them back to her Navy role.
“Having a prior knowledge of fire behaviour, firefighting techniques and equipment has assisted in my role within the damage-control organisation on a Navy vessel,” she says.
Loretta says her experiences have taught her that she can do more than she ever thought possible and she is excited about promoting diversity in her organisations and mentoring both future female firefighters and Navy members to step outside their comfort zones: “The experience has taught me that I am very capable and have achieved things beyond what I thought was possible for myself.”
Loretta’s study and career path to becoming a marine engineer
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical)
- Deputy marine engineer, Royal Australian Navy
- Volunteer firefighter
This article was first published in Careers with STEM: Defence 2023. For more Defence role models, head to our STEM + Defence role model hub!
