IBM generative AI and quantum intern Isabella (Izzy) Zdravkovic was recently awarded the 2024 CareerTrackers Intern of the Year Award and is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of First Nations STEM talent.
As a neurodiverse First Nations woman in STEM, Zdravkovic has inspired future talent through IBM’s SkillsBuild regional high school program and is proud to share her journey in quantum engineering and computer science, as a speaker and mentor – offering invaluable advice on overcoming barriers, seeking mentors and pursuing career opportunities.
Zdravkovic told EducationDaily that being awarded 2024 CareerTrackers Intern of the Year was “an incredible honour for me”.
“It represents not just my own journey but the amazing contributions of the people who inspire me to pursue a career in STEM!
“I’m really proud to be recognised for advocating for diversity, creating events and opportunities that encourage more people into STEM and helping others achieve their goals.”
She says the recognition is already opening doors for her.
“It has enhanced my resume and sparked conversations within IBM, UNSW and the community. Beyond my personal growth, it’s also amplifying awareness of CareerTrackers and its impact, which is deeply important to me as a First Nations woman,” Zdravkovic told EducationDaily.
“I see this award as a chance to represent those who came before me and to encourage more young people to explore the opportunities CareerTrackers offers.”
Supporting neurodivergent job-seekers
David Ellis is Managing Partner of IBM Consulting Australia and says the recent partnership between IBM SkillsBuild and Specialisterne Australia, a social enterprise that connects autistic applicants with employers, has seen the complete SkillsBuild program available to 200 neurodivergent job-seekers in 2025.
“IBM SkillsBuild comprises IBM’s program of professional skill modules designed to connect learners with career development opportunities,” Ellis told EducationDaily.
“It has a particular focus on the technology industry’s fastest growing fields such as cybersecurity, data science and AI, and includes diagnostic skills assessment, credentialed and IBM ‘badged’ qualifications and experiential learning opportunities with IBM and elsewhere.”
Ellis says, “our vision is for reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be fully embedded as an intrinsic part of IBM’s business strategy in Australia”.
“This means that reconciliation is at the forefront of our thinking, ensuring that we are representative of the communities we serve.
“Participating in CareerTrackers delivers on key commitments in IBM’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), including the establishment and upholding of mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations, improvement of employment outcomes by increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment, retention and professional development, and the encouragement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school and university students to consider careers in technology.”
Ellis says IBM Australia has been “a proud CareerTrackers employment partner since 2019” and “works to ensure that participating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students gain on-the-job experience and feel supported in their professional development”.
“Diversity at IBM Australia means that difference is expected, respected and encouraged so that every employee can be productive, innovative and achieve their full potential,” Ellis says.
“It produces loyalty and builds our reputation for good corporate citizenship, enabling our business to compete more effectively and competitively in the marketplace.”
Strengthening a sense of community
In early 2024, Zdravkovic co-founded the UNSW First Nations Engineering & Science Society (FNESS), creating a vital community for First Nations students in engineering and science.
Under leadership showcased by Zdravkovic and her fellow CareerTracker Intern, Harry Brotherhood, FNESS has fostered cultural connection for students far from home and amplified Indigenous voices, bridging gaps between students and faculty leadership. She says offering a sense of community to First Nations students who may be missing their connection to culture from home matters.
“We want to encourage, inspire and support more First Nations people to study STEM degrees. We also want to remind them that, no matter the hardships that are thrown at them, they do belong in science and engineering!”
Zdravkovic says “First Nations people can often believe that they shouldn’t go to uni, or that they are not smart enough to study science, or that they don’t have a place in big organisations like universities”.
“We’d like to challenge and change those beliefs. FNESS is also focusing on the intersection between modern engineering and First Nations technology to bring awareness to a long history of Indigenous invention.”
Embracing a bright, bold future
When asked what excites her most about quantum technology, her answer is clear.
“Everything! I’m excited at how fast the understanding of quantum technology is growing, what problems it can solve,” Zdravkovic says.
“It is still very early days in our discovery. I love the huge amount of different quantum languages that are emerging – and how different companies and researchers have different approaches to quantum computing.”
Although she admits her love of technology got her into trouble as a young child obsessed with disassembling game consoles, Zdravkovic says she simply wanted to “know how they worked” – a curiosity that is now being properly appreciated.
“I thought that they were magical – and I wanted to learn the magic,” she told EducationDaily.
“As I grew up, my curiosity kept growing and I kept wanting to learn more about how all sorts of different technologies worked.”
But instead of having this curiosity celebrated and supported, she says her pathway to my career in STEM was “a bit of a rough one”.
“My high school in regional Australia did not offer a technology subject and I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped in the HSC.”
But after approaching a smaller university, the University of Wollongong, and gaining acceptance through an interview process, Zdravkovic says her interest in quantum technology grew.
“My strong academic performance allowed me to apply and then transfer my degree studies to UNSW to pursue quantum engineering.”
Today, she says being a speaker and mentor through IBM’s SkillsBuild regional high school program is important to her because “we need different perspectives to be able to come up with the most creative ideas and innovations”.
“Representation matters,” she told EducationDaily.
“We need to show that there are all kinds of different people that can be scientists and engineers. That even if your mind thinks differently, you are valued and have an important, unique perspective.
“As a kid, I was discouraged by my peers from pursuing subjects like science because they might have been too hard. It’s important for people to know everyone can learn science. no matter what their background is.”
In the future, Zdravkovic says “I hope there is more understanding and less judgement of First Nations students, of neurodiverse students, of women … of anyone that is pursuing a career in STEM”.
“I hope that many, many more First Nations students are empowered and encouraged into STEM careers.”
