Hi my name is Adriane Houghton and I was born and raised in Port Hedland. I attended Hedland Senior High School however I withdrew after Year 10.
This decision limited my future employment opportunities and as a result I applied to the School of Indigenous Studies to enrol in the Orientation course.
I successfully completed the Orientation course and was determined to enrol in a Science degree at UWA. This decision was greatly influenced by my Chemistry tutor who made Science seem like fun!! During my time at University I had many difficulties to overcome including home sickness and financial hardship to name a few.
During my undergraduate studies I applied for a Cadetship which led to me gaining vacation employment with Woodside Energy in Karratha at the Onshore Gas Treatment Plant. I began working in the Technical Laboratory during my vacation breaks and upon my completion of my Science degree I gained employment as a Laboratory Analyst.
My job is within the Environmental section of the Laboratory where we analyse samples to ensure that they comply with the Environmental standards set by the Environmental Protection Authority. My work is relevant to the Indigenous people of the area and also to the wider community as we ensure that the environment is being preserved for future generations.