“I would tell girls thinking about doing engineering to just do it.”
Name: Katie
Course: Extended Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering
Former School: Penair School
Next Steps: Product Design at Bournemouth University
Katie has graduated from Truro and Penwith College with an impressive DDD in the Extended Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering and is now preparing to take her passion for design to university.
When Katie decided to study engineering, she knew she was entering a field where women have traditionally been underrepresented. Despite being one of the few female students in her year, she was determined to pursue a subject she was passionate about. But rather than allowing that to put her off, Katie quickly discovered that engineering was a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone was working towards the same goal.
“I would tell girls thinking about doing engineering to just do it. When I walked into that room for the first time, I realised I knew nobody in there and I was the only girl. I freaked out. But then I realised it’s not about who’s around you, it’s about how you interact with them.”
Katie’s interest in engineering was encouraged from an early age. Her father worked for the Merchant Navy and had experience in engineering, while her secondary school, Penair School, encouraged her to explore the subject further. Although she initially worried about being the only girl in her class, those concerns soon disappeared.
Katie says she quickly made friends with the other students on her course, becoming part of a supportive community. “I was lucky because I was already quite good at my subject; it meant that I wasn’t looked down upon, which was an expectation of mine. Everyone here is so nice and so kind that it wasn’t ever a worry for me after I realised it.”
One of the highlights of her time at Truro and Penwith College was the opportunity to combine engineering theory with practical, creative design. During the course, Katie designed her own product before developing a prototype in her second year. Her project resulted in a monitor stand which she designed and manufactured herself – and which now has pride of place in her home. “We designed our own products and then in second year we actually got to prototype it. Now I have a monitor stand that I’ve completely designed from scratch that lives in my house with my monitor on it.”
For Katie, being able to take an idea from the design stage through to a finished product was particularly rewarding. It also helped prepare her for the next stage of her education, as she has a keen interest in product design.
Katie will begin studying Product Design at Bournemouth University, where she hopes to develop her skills further and turn her passion for creating practical solutions into a future career. Looking further ahead, Katie is particularly interested in designing products that can improve people’s everyday lives, especially for older people and those living with disabilities. “I’m really interested in designing for disability. I really like the idea of being able to make something that helps older people who have trouble opening jars or something – mobility aids. I’d really like the idea of making mobility aids because I think this world doesn’t have enough of it and I’d really like to be that person to spark that change.”
Katie’s journey demonstrates the opportunities that engineering can provide, from developing practical technical skills to discovering a passion for product design and innovation. Her message to other young women considering a career in engineering is simple: do it. “Everyone’s in the same boat, everyone’s in the same situation, so it works out if you choose to be like that.”
With a fantastic set of results behind her and a clear ambition to use design to make a difference, Katie is now ready to take the next step towards an exciting future in product design.
