GUEST OPINION: Reflecting on five years of participation in the Lucy Mentoring Program
When Radhika started her Bachelor of Data Engineering degree at UTS, she didn’t yet see herself working in cyber security. Like many students in STEM, she was curious, driven, and uncertain of where she fitted within the vast landscape of technical careers.
Today, Radhika is a Lead Cyber Security Analyst at BT, at the frontline protecting some of our company’s largest customers against cyber attacks. And she’s a proud mentor to the next generation of women in STEM for the very program that helped launch her career: Lucy Mentoring.
I’ve had a front row seat to success stories like Radhika’s over the past five years, as the BT lead for the UTS Lucy Mentoring Program; her story is just one shining example of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity, and when young women in STEM are given the tools and belief to thrive.
When BT first joined the Lucy Mentoring Program, over five years ago, our goal was simple: offer women real, hands-on support that bridges the gap between academic learning and professional pathways through BT mentors, industry events and skill development workshops. Why? Because women are underrepresented in STEM and we wanted to help change that.
For Lucy Mentoring graduates like Radhika, a typical day as a Lead Cyber Security Analyst is beyond what she’d imagined as a student.
She’s part of a highly skilled, multidisciplinary cybersecurity team working at BT’s advanced Next Generation SOC. Alongside her colleagues, they collaborate to solve complex security challenges keeping the data of some of Australia’s largest companies across telecommunications, mining, health and government, safe.
Thanks to the cross-collaboration opportunities within the wider security team, Radhika has also been developing skills in threat intelligence and threat hunting in her BT role.
But her introduction to cyber security wasn’t textbook – it was hands-on. She discovered a sub-major in cybersecurity during her studies – with the spark coming when she joined the Lucy Mentoring Program at UTS.
Radhika says “I did the program twice because I saw how much it helped me. Not just with technical skills, but with confidence, networking, and understanding what the industry looks like.”
In an industry long since dominated by men, programs like Lucy Mentoring open new doors to new possibilities for women in STEM.
Radhika’s first mentor was instrumental in opening doors, introducing her to professionals in the field, which helped her land an internship at a security startup. And that internship was the basis for her career in cyber security.
“Cyber security can feel ambiguous when you’re starting out. But mentorship gave me visibility. It helped me see where I might belong, and that I do belong,” Radhika says, “My mentor was my stepping stone. Without that connection, I wouldn’t have had the chance to gain that first bit of experience. And that experience changed everything.”
And while the stats from the Lucy Mentoring program speak for themselves – more than doubling mentees’ confidence in job readiness, building networks, and boosting communication skills, it’s stories like Radhika’s that bring the numbers to life.
“Programs like this matter. Especially for women. It’s not just about being a straight-A student. It’s about knowing how to navigate this world and having someone to walk beside you while you do,” Radhika told me.
Now at BT, her role is both technical and customer-facing – an ideal combination for someone who thrives in both analysis and relationship building. She’s still refining her niche in cyber, but she’s certain of one thing: she belongs here. And now, she’s helping others find their place, too.
A Lucy mentor herself, Radhika says “After seeing how impactful the program was to me, I thought it would be good to give back to the community. Because I’ve been through this experience and now that I’m a woman working in STEM I can relate to the experience of my mentee.”
BT is proudly supporting the Lucy Mentoring Program again in 2025 – a UTS initiative now in its fifteenth year–providing industry mentors, live workshops at BT head offices in Sydney, and access for mentees to exclusive industry events. The Lucy Mentoring Program, with support from industry partners like BT, has now supported over 1,355 female STEM students to enter the industry with confidence.
Programs like Lucy Mentoring have revealed a powerful synergy between industry commitment and transformative industry outcomes; that’s why we remain committed at BT to creating sustainable pathways for women in STEM.
