On The Way To Successful Career As A Chemical Engineer
A visit to a Jaguar Land Rover production plant first sparked my interest for engineering. I was amazed to see a factory almost completely run by machines and intrigued by how somebody could design such an efficient system. Following this, I focused my attention on chemical engineering, enthused by the information gained at university lectures and from further research into topics such as fluid dynamics and the challenges of scale up.
Having developed a deeper understanding of this industry over the past few years, I too would love to be part of a team responsible for shaping our future, which would enable me to utilise my passion and knowledge of the sciences that I have developed during my school career. My main strength lies in chemistry, having thoroughly enjoyed learning about entropy and the wide range of analytical techniques available to chemists. However, I have always demonstrated my passion for all sciences and maths by my involvement in academic challenges, such as the UK Maths Challenge, or the British Physics Olympiad GCSE challenge, regularly achieving Silver or Gold awards.
This summer, I was selected for a Bioengineering Headstart course at Queen Mary University of London. I relished the opportunities offered: the experience of university life, lectures by university professors and working in groups on a research task. Our presentation focusing on dental amalgam won us second place. I also completed a series of tasks such as protein analysis and designing an artificial heart valve. Being thrust into a new environment and collaborating with a new team was a unique and rewarding experience that allowed me to gain a better understanding of the type of work and skills involved in chemical engineering.
Over the last year, I have been part of a team designing an early detection system for malaria, finding solutions for developing a cheap, effective test for third-world countries where the disease is more prevalent. I also regularly project managed, thus developing my leadership skills. Our work has led to a patent being filed, assistance from Stanford University students, an entry for a Gold CREST Award and potentially a scientific paper being published later in the year.
Furthermore, I have been working as one of the lead engineers on the Greenpower project, where we had to design and construct a car powered by electricity. Despite a few setbacks, we managed to qualify for the international finals and competed against some of the world’s finest young engineers, who admired our resourcefulness and commitment. My interest in chemical engineering led me to subscribe to the Chemical Engineer Today. I found recent articles on retina synthesis and vaccine refrigeration to be particularly interesting due to its relevance to the many challenges of our STEM project, namely with the stabilisation of the antibodies and finding a way to do so without the need for refrigeration.
In the summer holidays, I undertook work experience at a GP surgery and St George’s Hospital, which enabled me to observe and appreciate one of the many uses of chemical engineering, more specifically how lives are impacted by the developments of the pharmaceutical industry. This appreciation was strengthened by years of volunteering at St John’s Ambulance and my recent work at St Helier hospital in a dementia ward. This degree will provide me with the tools to lead a successful career as a chemical engineer and help change our world for the better.
