MH370: Searcher involved in hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines plane opens up on 'valuable lesson' learnt during investigation

The Queensland firefighter and former Royal Australian Air Force member never completed high school and initially believed she wasn't intelligent enough for university study.

"I never graduated high school and I never believed I was smart enough to be accepted into university," Robertson said. She is amongst 2,117 Charles Darwin University graduates who completed their studies either in November 2024 or at the end of the 2025 summer semester in March.

"It's an incredibly surreal and rewarding experience at times, I envied those graduating ahead of me, but today I am deeply grateful to celebrate this milestone," she said.

Robertson was involved in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 while a part of the Royal Australian Air Force.

During her RAAF tenure, she took part in critical operations including the MH370 search that reinforced her sense of resilience and adaptability.

"Experiences such as these taught me a valuable lesson about myself," she said.

"This experience showed me I was capable and resilient enough to face the pressure and challenges that inevitability come with studying in university."

Robertson currently serves as a firefighter with the Queensland Fire Department, where her experiences have directly inspired her pursuit of psychological science. Her decade-long commitment to strengthening her ability to support her community through both military operations and firefighting work motivated her academic journey.

"I still love my role as a firefighter and serving the community in a meaningful way, however my focus has always been becoming the best version of myself and my family, and I am excited for the future ahead," she said. Robertson has successfully balanced her studies whilst maintaining multiple responsibilities as wife, mother, and emergency services professional.

"This journey has shaped my identity and today I have the privilege of wearing many hats alongside my graduation cap: wife, mother, daughter, sister, and firefighter," she explained.

"I think this reflects the reality that we are not confined to one path and with support of the right people around us, we can pursue multiple passions and carve our own unique journeys."

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014 whilst flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, becoming widely regarded as the greatest mystery in aviation history.

The Boeing 777-200ER, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, last communicated with air traffic control 38 minutes after takeoff over the South China Sea.

The aircraft deviated westward from its planned flight path, crossing the Malay Peninsula and Andaman Sea before leaving radar range 200 nautical miles northwest of Penang Island.

With all 239 people aboard presumed dead, the disappearance became the deadliest incident involving a Boeing 777 and the deadliest in Malaysia Airlines' history.

The subsequent search became the most expensive in aviation history, initially focusing on the South China Sea before satellite analysis indicated the plane travelled southward over the southern Indian Ocean.

Ocean Infinity, a British and American-based company, previously led an unsuccessful search in 2018 before agreeing to launch fresh efforts earlier year.

However, latest search efforts for MH370 have encountered delays, with Ocean Infinity postponing their current operation until later this year.