Lily Millard
Lily Millard is an Assistant Economist at Capital Economics. She previously studied for a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of International Relations at the Australian National University.
Why did you choose to study economics?
I was very fortunate that my dad was an economics teacher so for as long as I can remember economics and current affairs dominated dinner time discussions. Because of this I have always thought of economics as a framework to approach any question- given the constraints you know, what is the best possible choice. In high school I knew I wanted to be able to measure the impact of things that didn't necessarily have obvious prices.
I don't think I ever expected to work as an economist but kept selecting it to study because I like the way it makes you think.
How would you describe economics?
I think of economics as a field that draws upon a bunch of different disciplines to study choices. It is about looking at all the information available to make the best possible choice for a person, a business or society.
If you had a time machine and could meet your 16-year-old self, what advice would you give them?
No one else will ever be a better advocate for yourself than you. You are more than capable of taking any course you fancy. Don’t let teachers or anyone else stop you taking something you need/want to because they don't think you can without putting up a real good fight.
What is your favourite part of economics?
I love when I see theories or economic concepts appear in the real world, which is all the time, but it's always very cool when you understand the underlying concepts to something going on in the news/your life.
Is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance?
Not let other people's perceptions of me hold me back.