Meet the South-Auckland teenager who builds rockets for a living

Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Shenay Fraser never dreamed she would build rockets.

Looking for a job straight out of High School, the teenager pictured herself working in a garage or the nearby Steel Mill.

But at just 17-years-old the former Waiuku College student has become the latest member of the New Zealand Rocket Lab team.

However, Shenay's path to crafting rockets isn't what many would expect.

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While she had excellent grades in automotive engineering Waiuku College, Shenay always preferred the workshop to the classroom. 

'I just like getting my hands dirty.'

In her final year of High School, Shaney left before her final exams, determined to get an early start in the workforce.

At this time a friend recommended she apply for an advertised position at Rocket Lab as an apprentice composite technician.

'I always wanted to do something with my hands, something creative. [So I thought] Why not? I'll give it a go.'

During the job interview, she met with Ben Malcolm who heads the composite fabrication team.

He says the composite material that makes up the skin of the Electron Rocket, and fuel tank system, is part of what makes them so successful.

'It's strong, light, and can handle extreme hot and cold temperatures.

'And we're the only company in the world to do it.'

Like Shenay, Malcolm entered the workforce before finishing High School, going on to help design and build boats with Emirates New Zealand.

'A lot of our guys also come from that background.'

He says during the interview process Shenay displayed exactly the kind of qualities they were looking for.

'She'll probably kick me for saying this but she was almost in tears during the process.'

Malcolm said Shenay displayed an incredible amount of passion when she talked about the automotive work she had done at High School.

And reading her resume, he said it was obvious she wasn't shy of hard work.

'Shenay came to us with the most jobs out of any applicant out of High School.'

While this was the first time Shenay applied for a full-time position, her history was littered with working roles that ranged from checking over racecars during track day, to sweeping floors.

Shenay was even a costume model at one point. 

'The list was pretty long,' says Malcolm.

'It really raised our eyebrows.

'I could see that whatever role we put her in, she was going to give one hundred per cent.'

And six weeks later he says he wasn't wrong.

'She's impressed me, she works hard, every time I looked at her, she seemed very, very happy to be here.'

Rocket Lab chief executive and founder Peter Beck says the company are always looking for new staff like Shenay.

'The company is growing at an incredible rate. We're employing around five people a week across many different teams.'

But you don't have to be a rocket scientist.

'To me, the most important thing to advance your career is to have a willingness and eagerness to learn.'

The Invercargill-born-and-raised engineer, scientist and rocket builder never spent a day at university. Instead, he learnt his engineering skills straight out of High School as a tool-making apprentice at Fisher and Paykel.

He says while there's some benefits to a university education, that's not always the most direct path to a successful career.

'When I was a teenager I was told by my careers advisor that my dream to build and launch rockets was unrealistic, and while I had always intended to go to university after school there were no degrees or courses in rocketry I could study. So I picked up an apprenticeship instead – much like Shenay has.'