Alumni Update: Annabel Shepherd
My last year at Pinehurst was in 2012—a very special year for me because I became Head Girl of the school. I consider myself incredibly fortunate because, having set my heart on Vet Science, I realized after 3 terms that physics was not for me. I replaced this subject with Design Tech at the 11th hour and turned in a respectable mark. I had a fantastic teacher and this subject excited me; in retrospect this became a turning point in my career. That last year at Pinehurst really cemented my decision to go on to study a Bachelor of Industrial Design with Honours at Massey University in Wellington. I always had a passion for problem solving and improving designs and processes to make people's lives easier; this degree was about to show me just how many ways this could be achieved.
Over the four years of my degree I learnt about manufacturing processes, 3D modelling and emerging technology, user experience design, branding and many more skills which ultimately help you decide where you'd like to work and what you can do in the world. Throughout university I was privileged to have my designs exhibited in The Workshopped exhibition in Sydney, Australia and The ECC exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand.
I left Massey University with a First Class Honours degree in 2016 majoring in Industrial Design and now work in Melbourne as an Account Manager for Aconex, a global company leading the way in project management for the construction and engineering industry. I chose to pursue a role where I get to develop long term relationships, pitch and implement solutions to improve processes. This is certainly the unconventional route for an industrial designer but without my background and passion for continuous improvement I couldn't perform a job I love turning up to everyday. Five years on from Pinehurst, I can honestly say that everything I learnt has helped me set up some great opportunities for the future and my career.