Melinda Brennan was 23 when she was accepted into a specialist training course and became the first female Qantas cadet in Australia. The course had only a small number of cadets in Queensland and had been male dominated. Brennan went on to become Australia's first female Army and military helicopter pilot.

In a group of all males, Brennan struggled against the adversity. She describes her history-making journey as not necessarily a personal choice, however she "knew she had to pave the way for other females to follow".

Brennan worked as a Qantas commercial pilot until suffering an injury and deciding to retire from flying. She now works in an animal shelter in Brisbane and helps run a rescue service for injured animals and local wildlife. Brennan states she has always loved animals and this new career pathway allows her to pursue another passion.

Brennan's personal career highlight is cited as being accepted into the highly competitive Qantas cadet scheme and flying helicopters in the Army. This allowed her to follow a highly successful aviation career.

Brennan believes attending State High gave her a high school experience like no other and allowed her to pursue many experiences. She believes that State High opened her eyes and gave her a highly privileged education pathway.

Written by Amber Sheridan*

*NB: This alumni profile was crafted by a State High student as part of the school's student/alumni interview project during the 2021 Centenary celebration.