Kristeen Karishma Chand
Graduate Engineer, KiwiRail
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechatronics Engineering (First Class)
Being able to experience working in different business units across the company is what she enjoys most about being part of KiwiRail’s graduate programme, says Kristeen Karishma Chand.
“Being a KiwiRail graduate engineer includes rotations across various engineering disciplines. My rotations so far have included KiwiRail’s infrastructure digital team, traction and electrical team, and signalling team.
“When I was based in KiwiRail’s infrastructure digital team, I utilised my Power Platform skills to assist in the development of an application for internal asset management, using the agile project management style to develop the minimum viable product. My time in the traction and electrical team involved learning about how electrical train stations work, visiting multiple sites to understand the railway context and learning about design considerations associated with an electrical substation. Working with the signalling team has helped me understand how the signalling infrastructure works and made me better understand the stages of the design process.
“Another aspect I enjoy is being a part of KiwiRail’s graduate community. It reminds me that other people are also new to the industry and are continuously developing. Communicating with other graduates allows me to share my experiences more comfortably while also learning from their experiences in different business units.”
Completing a graduate project is part of KiwiRail’s graduate programme, and Kristeen jumped at the chance to design a level crossing for her project.
“In this level crossing design project, I’m producing AutoCAD designs that consider civil, track and signal engineering perspectives. This involves working closely with staff from different engineering disciplines, and requires creative problem-solving skills, attention to safety-related standards and documentation related to the design process. This has been a key highlight of my role at KiwiRail. It enables me to understand the railway context much more deeply, gives me a greater appreciation for safety in the railway industry and means that I can contribute towards making this level crossing safer.”
Welcoming and practical
Kristeen says pursuing an engineering degree was an easy decision for her as she has always enjoyed science and mathematics.
“I realised engineering heavily involves science and maths, is creative and truly helps people. I chose to study at AUT because when I was in high school, I was given a very warm welcome during a tour around AUT. I found AUT to be a very friendly environment, and was aware that AUT provided both practical experience and theoretical knowledge for teaching engineering. This piqued my interest. I loved the laboratory sessions throughout my degree, which involved designing a 5V and 12V power supply in an electronics project, completing various labs with the provided microcontroller and using Raspberry Pi in my final-year project.”
She is also grateful for the support from various AUT staff throughout her studies.
“Dr Anubha Kalra made her classes interactive and did her best to be as available as possible to support students. She also helped me find a role when I struggled to get enough work experience to graduate. Professor Sarat Singamneni’s lecturing in the mechanical engineering courses was comprehensive and he also gave me advice on how to become a successful engineer, including being consistent with deadlines, thinking carefully about what industry to choose when progressing through my career and recommending material to enhance my engineering knowledge.
“Dr Lorenzo Garcia was a very understanding lecturer who helped me through issues with my final-year project, and guided me throughout my Research Scholarship. Danielle Yang was very caring, enthusiastic and relatable, and was also very kind when handing back marked exams to students, reminding us that grades don’t define our self-worth. Additionally, I appreciated the AUT Student Counselling and Mental Health team, which helped me with stressful situations and personal issues I was facing.”
Advice for other students
Kristeen – who graduated from AUT in 2023 and who is proud of receiving an AUT Undergraduate Scholarship and an AUT Summer Research Scholarship – has some great advice for other students.
“Study consistently as this makes the busier periods of the semester less stressful and reduces the chances of needing late night study sessions and larger study sessions before deadlines and test dates. Ask questions to clarify content you didn’t understand during classes, and go through past test papers to get exposure to what to expect before the test day.”
She also emphasises the importance of self-care and confidence.
“Believe in yourself, prioritise yourself and take care of yourself. I found this useful as I was able to concentrate better and perform better after giving myself the opportunity to feel better and have more energy to take on more tasks. Ensuring healthy physical and mental health through exercise, getting enough rest, eating healthy, and pursuing hobbies, spending time with family and friends naturally brings out the best in yourself.”
