Meet Joan, a first-year postgraduate mining engineering student at Curtin Kalgoorlie who embodies altruism and ambition.
Growing up in Brazil, Joan faced a crucial decision between pursuing higher education or following the traditional path of manual labour in his town. Encouraged by his mother, who recognised education as the key to unlocking opportunities, Joan completed his undergraduate degree at the School of Mines of Ouro Preto in Brazil. Eager to invest in his learning, Joan left regional Brazil for the first time and moved to Perth.
Choosing Western Australia was an obvious choice for Joan. He found the climate in Perth similar to Brazil’s and was drawn to Australia’s welcoming, multicultural nature. Additionally, Western Australia offered exceptional opportunities for a mining engineer. Despite the obvious challenges of moving internationally, Joan was undeterred in his decision to pursue postgraduate studies in Kalgoorlie. Thus, he and his wife moved to Australia to pursue their mining dreams.
Initially, Joan faced a significant barrier to communication due to his English proficiency. He found tasks like answering the phone daunting, although whilst he still believes his English isn’t perfect, he has noticed through his experience that people always find a way to communicate with one another. Joan has observed several cultural differences between studying in Brazil and Australia, mostly a big difference culturally in the strictness of time and sticking to exact schedules being different from that of Brazil. In Australia, he has also found that there is a big separation in lectures, workshops, and seminars, where you must be prepared before each class, compared to Brazil, where it is common to just have one long class in the day with the learning combined. Joan personally prefers the Australian way and said it’s made him more efficient and proactive in his studies.
Joan has embraced life in Kal wholeheartedly, immersing himself in the community and forging connections. Since arriving in Kalgoorlie, Joan has volunteered in the community, gaining a deeper appreciation for the importance of giving back. He encourages fellow students to step out of their comfort zones and do the same. Although Joan misses Brazilian food and the welcoming nature of his home country, the close-knit community in Kalgoorlie has helped him feel at home. Joan believes Kalgoorlie is an ‘astonishing place’ and even prefers it to Perth.
Looking to the future, Joan aspires to build a successful career in the mining industry, hoping to work alongside his wife, who was an industrial engineer in Brazil. His ambition to advance the mining industry is fuelled by his belief in the value of diversity and the importance of leveraging different backgrounds and perspectives to solve complex problems. Joan’s ultimate goal is to drive innovation and sustainable practices for the benefit of society.
