Why engineering?

I didn’t know much about engineering growing up and was thinking about studying medicine like my parents. I started thinking about engineering when I was 16 after I took part in the EDT Headstart scheme where I got to visit a university and take part in taster courses. A school trip to CERN, a large European scientific research centre, made me realise that engineering can help with great scientific discoveries.

I decided to study engineering because I liked the idea of what engineering could achieve. I went to the University of Cambridge and studied Civil and Environmental Engineering where my classes covered all sorts of topics.

While at university I volunteered with Engineers Without Borders UK. I learnt about engineers working in developing countries and how they help people access clean water and improve health with safe sanitation and drains, among many other things! I realised this was how I wanted to use my engineering because I could see the impact that engineering had on people’s lives.

What is your current role?

I am now a Civil Engineer in the water engineering team at Arup, where I work on projects to keep people safe from flooding. I design drainage systems and work with other experts to manage flood risk to communities. I work with nature, from rivers and lakes, to trees to manage rainwater in storms. I work to make sure my designs are sustainable, with minimal negative impact on the environment.  My work keeps people and houses dry and safe after large storms.

What other projects have you been involved with?

I have worked with charities on projects around the world. In South America, I improved the design of temporary housing in favelas so that houses could be built safely and quickly by small groups of people. In Kenya, I worked to make sure that communities in Kibera, an urban slum, had safe, well drained public spaces.