A student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) has been selected for a prestigious award scheme aimed at helping the most promising young engineers achieve their full potential.
Laura Steedman, 20, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at RGU, is one of just 36 students from universities across the UK chosen for the Engineering Leadership Advanced Award scheme by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The awards aim to provide carefully planned training and experience to some of the most exceptional undergraduate engineering students at UK universities, in order to furnish them with the skills and capacity to fast-track their career after graduating.
Laura can choose the additional training she wants to undertake, backed by up to £5,000 of funding through the scheme, as well as having access to a mentoring panel and various networking events.
She said of the challenge that she embarked on: “The interview and assessment exercises at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London were very challenging and I met some incredible candidates. I was delighted to hear that I’d been selected and feel very fortunate to be one of the 36 candidates chosen to receive the award.”
Laura is no stranger to picking up accolades, having been awarded a highly sought after BP scholarship in her second year and making it to the final 10 of Target Job’s Female Undergraduate of the Year Awards in 2013, as a result of which she was offered a summer internship at Rolls-Royce.
“That was an incredible experience,” she said. “The highlight of the placement was my visit to their China and Singapore sites which gave me an insight into other aspects of the business and exposure to a different working environment.
“My time at Rolls-Royce gave me a new perspective to my understanding of engineering, particularly an appreciation of the complexity of manufacturing.”
This summer will see Laura undertake an internship with BP at the company’s facilities in Grangemouth as part of her scholarship, while she has also taken on the role of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassador as well as being the RGU representative on the Young Members’ Panel of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE).
Laura said: “Promoting engineering is a passion of mine. At school I had little exposure to engineering so I want to ensure that others are better informed about the vast opportunities the sector offers.
“I’m particularly passionate about promoting STEM to girls, as women are still significantly under-represented in science and engineering.”
She added: “RGU has provided me with an excellent platform to build my career. In particular, the lecturers and staff are extremely approachable, helping me to reach my full potential. From the very first week, we have had practical design challenges and labs which enhance the theory learned in class. These experiences have taught me invaluable lessons which will help me in industry.”
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