Where are they now?

My story

Liong Phan -  Year 12 Graduate 2006

Following my dream since high school

I always loved the concepts and ideas behind mathematics and science, and so engineering was a logical choice for me after high school. 

The difficult decision I had to make was which field of engineering

 to get into.  I grew up watching a lot of Japanese robotics animations and thought it would be amazing if I could one day build one myself.  So I decided to go to the University of New South Wales to study Mechatronics Engineering.  I quickly realised it was not for me and switched to a Civil Engineering after travelling to Asia and witnessing the amazing mega projects being constructed there.

How did I get there

I was fortunate to land an internship with Fairfield City Council while in my final year of university which helped me land a graduate civil engineering position with civil contractor Fulton Hogan.  As a graduate, I was assigned to Majura Parkway Project in Canberra, a $288 million 11.5km dual carriageway linking the Monaro Highway and Federal Highway.  Hungry for more, and loving the experience of working in a different city, I set my eyes for something bigger and better.  In 2014, I accepted an offer with Leighton Asia and moved to Macau, SAR China to work on the US$4.1 billion luxury integrated resort casino - Wynn Palace.  The resort included a 28 storey hotel, private villas, casino space, luxury retail shops and fine dining restaurants.  After completing the Wynn Palace project in 2016 I moved to Hong Kong, SAR China to work on two more projects, the Liantang Boundary Control Point and Hong Kong International Airport T1 Expansion.  Wanting a change of pace, I decided to move back to Sydney in 2018 and joined Watpac Constructions, and I am now working on the Western Sydney Airport Visitor Centre.    

My achievements so far

Besides successfully completing the highly complex and intense mega project 'Wynn Palace' I would say my most significant achievement was completing the hike up to Ala Köl Lake in Kyrgyzstan. 

The hike to the peak was over three days to an altitude of 3800m and it required me to face my fear of heights and pushed my physical and mental limits.  Although wanting to give up multiple times along the way, I managed to complete it and it is still one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  

I truly believe the skills and lessons learned from Cecil Hills High School laid a solid foundation for me and allowed me to achieve what I have to date. 

To all the Cecil Hills High School students reading this, my advice is to dream big and just simply go for it.   

I have to give a special shout out to Mr Alfonsi.  Thank you for developing my interest and skills in mathematics and being a mentor and role model throughout my high school years.  

Liong Phan