I was 16 years old in my 5th year of high school when I completed two work experience placements with BP. This experience is what ignited my drive and passion for chemical engineering and a career in STEM. Throughout those placements I was exposed to operations, design but most importantly problem-solving real-life issues with passionate likeminded people.
At school my interests were in chemistry and physics due to their practical nature. I was always curious and questioning in the class to understand fully how things worked. This interest led to my work experience, which helped me realise that chemical engineering was the career path I wanted to follow.
The path to my current career was not a straight one. I completed a Batchelors Honours degree which focused on chemistry however I realised that my bias was more for engineering. This drove my determination to achieve the grades needed to complete a Masters in Advanced Chemical & Process Engineering. Dyslexia was a challenge I had to overcome throughout education however I didn’t let this hold me back. I was fortunate to attend a school and university who were supportive during my journey.
At the end of my 4th year of university I secured an internship with GSK through the Saltire Foundation. I found the challenges of working in a manufacturing environment in such an important industry as pharmaceuticals extremely rewarding and exciting. This ultimately led to my current role in engineer at AstraZeneca.