My first experience of a STEM activity was through the Sheffield University Technical College: hosting tours for students at Rolls-Royce’s site and attending career events. Showing students around Rolls-Royce and seeing their eyes light-up when they see our engines, test beds and other facilities is truly humbling and gives me an undeniable sense of pride in the company I work for, and what I represent. Seeing this excitement and passion from the students for what we do shows me that being a STEM ambassador really matters.
After completing this, I decided to continue my STEM journey and successfully applied for the role of Team Leader for the Derby Grammar STEM Outreach Project. Through the utilisation of project management academia learned from my university studies, I was able to demonstrate relevant skills within the STEM network. Leading this project with likeminded colleagues has given me experience of running projects in a completely different environment to what I am used to. Again, seeing the passion of both the students and teachers for Rolls-Royce’s STEM project really showcased the importance of the STEM programme and how appreciative the community is for the work we do.
Through my experiences within the STEM community, I have been inspired to undertake new challenges during my time at Rolls-Royce; such as public speaking and customer interactions.
I truly believe that if we can reach our 25 million people interaction goal, we will see a vast, positive development in both the company’s diversity and innovative culture.