Prior to the IET Faraday® Challenge Day, Jasmine never had the opportunity to experience practical engineering, however this programme gave her a glimpse into what life as an engineer might be like.
“During this extracurricular activity we were tasked with building a model racing car to compete over a five-metre track against the other teams.
Our group ended up coming first, and it was a really eye-opening experience into the process of designing and making the model from scratch,” she says.
“I enjoyed the day so much, and it showed me that engineering could be a viable career option. I honestly don’t think I’d have considered engineering if it wasn’t for the IET Faraday® Challenge!”
Discovering the wide world of engineering
Jasmine’s interest in the sector grew over the years as she learnt more about different strands of engineering. She took every opportunity to participate in engineering activities, events and competitions, which included Head start courses, the Engineering Education Scheme and the UK Space Design Competition. This confirmed her thoughts that an engineering degree was the right choice for her.
During her time at the University of Warwick the IET re-entered Jasmine’s orbit, when she spotted an Instagram post about the IET’s scholarship scheme and the many opportunities available to students.
“The chance to win such a prestigious award was something I had to apply for, and I’m so glad I did,” she says.
A few months later, Jasmine was over the moon to learn she’d been awarded the IET Future Talent Awards – Launch Scholarship, supported by the Belling Charitable Settlement – this was just the beginning!.
The benefits of winning an IET award
Jasmine feels that she’s gained so much from being awarded an IET scholarship.
“The award has provided me with tremendous benefits and will catapult my career to new heights,” she enthuses. “The financial support has been massive – it meant I didn’t have to work in my evenings as much and I was able to focus on my dissertation and final year studies, as well as pursue further development opportunities.
Jasmine had more time to get involved in extracurricular activities including joining the Warwick Boring team, whose work has garnered a spot in the global final of Elon Musk’s not-a-boring competition in Austin, Texas.
IET membership has also been a boon, enabling Jasmine to take advantage of mentor opportunities and access continuing professional development (CPD) events.
“The IET has really given a boost to my early career, allowing me to access opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise known about and making industry connections. Since joining I’ve also applied for and won an IET Travel Award, which is supporting my trip to study in Peru as part of The Green Program.”
Being part of the wider IET community has also showed her that engineering was definitely the right career path for her.
“I wasn’t sure if an engineering career was right for me post-university, but after attending several IET events, I saw the breadth of work I could do within engineering, and it opened my eyes!” she says. “Until then I just didn’t see my place in engineering.”
“One of the major impacts this award has had on me is giving me more confidence in my engineering ability,” she continues. “Before, I didn’t think I was smart enough for something like electrical engineering, but through the IET I’ve learnt it wasn’t a lack of aptitude but just a lack of experience that was affecting my confidence.
“I’m now working on an individual project building a sensor system to monitor tree health and would like to explore sensor systems and IoT devices further.”
Next steps
As she nears the end of her degree, Jasmine is now looking at her postgraduate options.
“Later this year I’m going to start preparing my applications for a postgraduate course at Stanford or MIT, or perhaps Oxford or Imperial in the UK. Before I do this, I’m also due to head out to Singapore for a research placement. These are my next few steps and I’ll see where they take me. There are so many options to choose from!”
Jasmine does, however, know where she’d like to end up.
“Anything transportation-related is of particular interest to me, including that of aerospace engineering and sustainable transport. In the future, I aspire to become an aerospace engineer, operating on mission communications.
“Eventually I’d like to have my own start-up, using robotics for experimental investigations. Working in the start-up field is so much more appealing to me than working as a small cog in a big organisation,” she says.
She has also set her sights on some key professional goals, including working towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) professional registration and applying for the title of IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year (YWE).
“I hope to inspire other young girls into engineering pathways,” she says. “But wherever I end up, I’m so grateful to the IET and the donors that support us– in my case the Belling Charitable Settlement – for boosting my career profile so young.
“The impact of IET scholarships – and membership generally –should not be underestimated,” she concludes.