Home country: Panama

Current job: Process Analyst

1. What made you consider Engineering as a subject area?

It was never clear to me that I wanted to be part of the engineering field. Since I was five years old, I remember that my dream was to become a dentist. In fact, all the aptitude tests during my senior year at High school recommended medicine area as the first option to study.

At that moment, I did not know how diverse and beautiful the engineering area was until I started researching and consulting with professionals. Luckily, I have the best examples at home, my parents; they are both engineers. When I was about to sign the enrolment paper to join the dentistry program, I was able to visualise that it was a beautiful area of study, but not my passion. To this day, I do not regret this decision.

Within the engineering area, I decided to go for the industrial part because you mainly learn to manage, transform, and modify the resources of a company using traditional and innovative techniques and methodologies, and this seemed incredible to me. Today, being a woman in engineering fills me with pride and has opened me the doors to many contacts, jobs, and unforgettable experiences.

2. What made you look at the University of Strathclyde as an institution option?

An essential part of this process was the support I received from STM Education. During a University fair, I found this agency whose job is to provide advice and complete support to Latin America students who wish to start studies at renowned universities around the world, including the United Kingdom.

After telling them a little more about my wishes as a future student, they helped me find the perfect University for me, the University Strathclyde. Then, choosing it as the first option was not difficult because of all the benefits (gym, library, location), recognition and quality of education it offers.

3. What are the main reasons why you decided to study in DMEM?

Since 2015, I have been working in the process area in my country and the idea of just going to study for a year was a little challenging to absorb mentally because work experience is essential in my country. Upon discovering that the program I was about to choose belonged to the DMEM department, and I that would be allowed to work with a Scottish company for six months, my doubts ended.

DMEM is one of the most complete departments of the University, it combines two unique and essential elements in the field: 1) studying management and engineering at the same time, and 2) the opportunity to carry out group work where you immediately develop everything learned in the classroom. This only shows how the DMEM department manages to align the quality of education with innovation and current industrial tendencies.

4. Why did you choose to study your programme?

I think I have been fortunate to find the field of Industrial Engineering, which I am passionate about, processes. From my perspective, process is a word that we hear in all professional conversations from all fields, but it continues to be a subject to be developed and evolved, especially now with all the technological advances.

After having some experience working, I decided it was time to continue learning more. If I am not mistaken, DMEM is not only the only department in the whole UK with this programme, but it is the only one that provides this programme from an engineering perspective and not just business or management.

This programme has completely changed my life. Beyond the experience of living in another country, there is the opportunity to meet friends, colleagues, professors, and doctors specialised in the subjects willing to share and connect with you at all times. The quality of education and students who enter this University is evident in the classroom.

5. How was your experience moving to Scotland?

I think moving to Scotland from Panama it is the best madness I have ever done. My country only has two seasons a year: Summer and Winter, but it always maintains at the same temperature (approximately 30 degrees Celsius). From the moment I arrived in Glasgow and felt that cold, I think there was not a time when I did not complain about it.

However, the weather always remained as a second priority when the people, the environment, the University is perfect. My admission process at the University of Strathclyde started in 2017 to be part of the 2018-2019 class; however, for economic reasons, I was not able to join that year. The University was very understanding regarding this issue and allowed me to save my spot for the next year (2019).

Despite applying to multiple scholarship programs over the years, I was not able to get one. In 2019, both the University of Strathclyde and STM Education offered me partial scholarships that helped me complement my savings to achieve my long-awaited dream of studying abroad finally.

6. Living in Glasgow

Glasgow is a beautiful city. I used to believe that Latin American countries were the friendliest with foreigners until I met the Scots. In Glasgow, you can see signs all over the city with the phrase “People make Glasgow”, and I think these three words define the city. It is a very welcoming city with foreigners and especially with international students.

The support I received from both the Scottish community and the University as an international student was incredible to me. Glasgow offers everything to its inhabitants and in a comfortable way. Something that I valued a lot is the number of grocery stores, shops, and cafes in every corner; this helped me always make my purchases quickly and safely.

Glasgow is strategically located to allow you to travel not only to the rest of Europe but also within Scotland. Weekly, the University offers students trips to different famous Scottish destinations at low cost, which will surely be a fabulous break from the routine and get to know your new home.

Also, it will be easy to align your interests with a sports club, or volunteering program both inside and outside the University. In my case, I love to run, and during the first semester, I attended the running team training sessions, and it was a unique experience to share with so much local talent. In the second semester, I was a volunteer at TEDx University of Strathclyde, and this opened me the doors to even more contacts and friends around the world. This without mentioning everything learned from the TEDx speakers.

Moving to another country could be a challenging experience, but I think it is impossible to feel alone in Glasgow. The Spanish, Greek, Arab, and Chinese communities are abundant in the city. Even if you do not get to find anyone from your home country, like me, you will never feel alone. The friends I made the first day, became like my family and gave me their unconditional support at all times.

Finally, it will not be challenging to find a student apartment that meets your needs. In the city, there are a wide variety of student accommodations located remarkably close to the University. Public transport is excellent; however, people move everywhere by walking, which will surely help you to avoid transport costs.

7. A day in your life as a DMEM student

A day in a DMEM student is a day full of activities. Usually, classes start at 10:00 am and end between 2 pm and 5 pm (depending on your programme). This allowed me to get up early, train my body and then continue training my mind. Some classmates, however, preferred to go to Strathclyde Sport during lunch, and then continue with classes. Furthermore, there are always those who prefer to go when classes were over. The important thing is that a DMEM student knows how to complement his physical and mental health, and this is something that classes flexibility allow you to do.

I enjoyed attending classes because it is a welcoming and friendly environment. I never felt that my opinion was not valued or afraid to express my doubts. Professors are truly kind, responsible for the teaching and happy to share with the students at all times. After the end of classes, the group meetings began; this is something very characteristic of the department. All classes included group work, so I had to meet daily with my colleagues to discuss case studies or assigned projects.

The University library was one of my favourite places because it has too many diverse spaces to study and concentrate depending on your needs. However, when the end periods come, it was always very comforting to know that I had at my disposal not only a large room fully equipped with computers and printers within the DMEM floor, but also had access to a meeting room only for graduate DMEM students.

Of course, there was always time to go out and have fun since the schedule includes free days. Furthermore, to support knowledge and fun, we have the DMEM society. This society is continuously sharing with professionals to create events regarding current industry affairs; they also organise student contests, activities such as visits to industries, offer job opportunities and even social gatherings after classes.

8. Employment opportunities and industry relations

Employment opportunities are a crucial topic, and more at this moment when we are facing the worst world crisis since the Second World War. Furthermore, this the reason why I blindly trust the department and the University. From day one, the University has been there to support access to all job opportunities and internship programs in the UK. Additionally, the University allows you to have access to personalised support, from help with your CV to personalised practice interviews, and more.

In recent days, I have followed some recent graduates of the University, and I can confidently say that different companies had already hired 80% of them. As a DMEM student, I am confident that even though we are in a pandemic season, my degree and experience are still valid. Now I have experience in the Industrial field, specifically in Whisky and this is something that not only companies in your country will value, but also Scottish companies that are continually looking for graduates of the University of Strathclyde and even some of them come directly to the DMEM department looking of students because they know the quality of their preparation.

In my case, I was extremely fortunate to find a Panamanian company that supported my desire to study abroad, so at the end of my master’s degree, I will resume my work there. Coming back is an opportunity and a challenge that I am looking forward to taking because it will allow me to continue learning and growing as a professional. In the future, I would like to continue supporting programs for Latin America women in engineering and why not create links with the University, the department, and my home country.

9. Covid-19. The University is actively planning to support all our students to deliver learning, teaching and assessment safely. As an international student, and before the pandemic, how has the University of Strathclyde and DMEM supported you?

Something that fascinates me about the University is the communication with its students. The communication is clear, and they always try to stay aligned between departments. Before COVID-19, any support regarding information for international students, inquiries about a class, buildings location, library, grades, and workshops are provided during the induction week.

The department does an exciting dynamic during the induction week. Apart from introducing yourself to the department, they motivate you to make a group with peers and start a “treasure hunt”. You walk the entire University campus searching “the treasure”, the most exciting thing is that all the clues are strategically located in places that you are going to visit later for classes or resort some issue. You learn where to go while competing with your peers. I enjoyed that day.

However, I must admit that I received the most significant support during the pandemic crisis. There was a specific week that the world practically got paralysed, classes were suspended, many students began to return to their countries, countries began to close borders, and everything became uncertain. As a class representative, I talked with many classmates, and we made several proposals to the department related to deadlines and class assessments. The department was incredibly open to supporting us in everything, and they provided us with security at all times to continue the program remotely.

10. Can you share any tips on how to help yourself stay self-motivated, mentally healthy while social distancing? Do you have any study tips to help you get through this pandemic?

Wuao! COVID-19 has been an unprecedented situation and one that I have experienced first-hand as it can affect you so much mentally. During the pandemic, I returned to my country one day before the borders closed, I had to quarantine alone for 15 days, assist to online classes being 7 hours behind, and work with peers with a 12 hours difference from Thailand and India. It was quite a challenge.

However, today businesses and enterprises require adaptability, and I think this is something that we have learned to manage very well. It is never easy, but it is not impossible. During the quarantine, I have learned a lot from myself, and I share my tips:

1. Find a motivation (Role Model) to follow: For example, I saw my mom starting a business from scratch during the quarantine; that motivated me to get up and continue to study and fight for my future.
2. Create a routine: From home, it is even more challenging to get out of bed. So, I started to simulate as if I had to go out to work (although my job is to work on the thesis). I get dressed and set daily goals; this helps me not only to keep track of the thesis but also to motivate myself and understand what works for me and what do not.
3. Good distraction: I prefer to do things that give me more energy rather than take it away from me, like talking friends, going for a walk, exercising, watching a movie, or reading a book.

11. What advice would you give to someone considering coming to study at the Department of Design, Manufacture & Engineering Management, and the University of Strathclyde?

If you are thinking about it and you have not yet made the decision, you are wasting your time. I promise you will not regret it. You can communicate your doubts about the department, and I am sure they will help you choose the best program for you. Do not think about it much, and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

On the other hand, if you have already made the decision, enjoy every second of the experience. Try to go to all the events, talk to the professors, propose your ideas, jump in as a representative of your class or department and join a club. Time flies by, and in the blink of an eye, you are about to graduate. The University and the department provide an infinity of opportunities, do not miss them, and strive your best during all classes. Hard work always pays off.