Westpac Young Technologist Indigo Hennig is hoping to change the world for the better with tech, having found the perfect harmony in her maths and IT double degree
Indigo’s journey to the world of mathematics and IT began with a passion for music, and given her music taste ranges from playing the harp to listening to head banging 90s rock, her path was always bound to be diverse.
Now studying a Bachelor of Mathematics and Information Technology at QUT, Indigo was a Westpac Young Technologist scholarship recipient, and credits her tech scholarship with engaging her leadership skills and helping her build contacts in the IT industry, where she hopes to build a worthwhile career after university.
“Initially, I wanted to be a musician after school,” she says. “But my favourite subjects were Digital Solutions and Mathematical Methods.”
Fearing that a career in music might not fully engage her problem-solving skills, Indigo chose the STEM path, all while keeping her creative side alive by playing guitar in a band.
Indigo says her STEM-centric dual degree involves working with A LOT of maths and problem solving every day. “On the IT side, I code programs, develop websites, and troubleshoot software. For the maths part of my degree, I tackle complex equations, analyse data, and work on mathematical proofs.”
Tech scholarship leads to awesome travel opportunity
As part of her Westpac tech scholarship, Indigo got to travel to Singapore for a week-long “Disruptive Leaders Program”.
“I worked on innovative ideas for real industry pitches! And gained insight into different thought processes of different teams”
Indigo is currently spending time collaborating on coding projects and researching new technologies.
“It’s crazy to think in high school I knew one programming language, and now I know up to 10!” Indigo says.
“One of the most exciting coding projects I’ve undertaken involved harnessing the power of a Raspberry Pi, a miniature computer, to showcase my skills.
“I conceptualised and created a unique alarm clock that not only wakes you up but also adds a touch of creativity. Instead of a standard alarm tone, I programmed it to play System of a Down’s track, ‘Chop Suey’, when the alarm goes off. It was a thrilling experience to combine my passion for coding with my love for music, making it one of the coolest and most rewarding projects I’ve worked on.”
Indigo’s advice to grads is: “Take the opportunity that will give you the most opportunities!”
“If one path sends you overseas – take it! If one path gets you to do a lot of public speaking – take it! These opportunities often present even greater opportunities later and it’s worth the hassle at the time.”
She’s excited about the future of tech, and the career opportunities that don’t even exist yet.
“I have no idea what I’ll be doing in 10 years, but I know it will be on the forefront of human development and hopefully is a career that can change our world for the better!”
This profile was brought to you in partnership with Westpac Scholars. Their Young Technologists Scholarship is currently open for applications until 15 Jan 2024.
Author: Charis Palmer
Charis is Managing Editor of Careers with STEM. She has spent her career making complex subjects fun and interesting for general audiences. She’s worked as a reporter, news editor and publisher/founder across science, energy, business/economics/markets and tech for organisations including The Conversation, iTnews, Monash University and Schwartz.
