What made you decide to apply to the Scottish Space School?
I’ve always had a keen interest in aerospace, and in engineering in general, so when my school physics teacher told me about an opportunity to meet NASA astronauts and engineers I jumped at the chance. The possibility of being chosen to go on the Learning Journey week to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston also really excited me. Looking through pictures of previous years (in both Scotland and Texas) and seeing how much fun everyone had made me sure I wanted to apply.
What did you enjoy most about the week?
It’s difficult to settle on one thing that I enjoyed the most about the Scottish Space School week. Obviously, meeting astronauts and engineers working on live space projects for the first time was incredibly inspiring, and speaking to astronauts about their time in space and their journey to become an astronaut was hugely motivating. But definitely one of my favourite parts about the Space School was that it was a brilliant opportunity to meet 100 like-minded people from across Scotland, many of whom I have gone on to university with and am still (four years on) good friends with.
What do you think you gained most from the experience?
I’m not sure I can pick one thing that I feel I gained the most. The Space School made me a much more confident person, and the inspiration from meeting the astronauts and engineers further fuelled my ambition to study in the field.
Did it help you to make up your mind about what to study at university?
Going into the Scottish Space School I wanted to study either aero-mechanical engineering or physics, although my long term aerospace interest was drawing me to the former. Meeting engineers working in the space industry confirmed to me that aero-mechanical engineering was what I really wanted to do.
What has been your favourite part of studying at Strathclyde?
Undoubtedly my favourite part has been the opportunity to study abroad for a year. Not all universities and not all courses offer this opportunity, so I’m incredibly thankful that the Faculty of Engineering at Strathclyde does, and that there are so many options on where to go. I chose to go to the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, USA to study for one academic year in 2014/15. Meeting other exchange students from around the world, getting to go to a university with a completely different setup and style, and living abroad for several months were experiences I can’t recommend highly enough to new students.
What made you decide to study abroad?
I felt that studying abroad was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I should try and make the most of, and that the chance to travel to places I’d always wanted to see was too good to turn down.
Have you remained involved with the Scottish Space School since joining Strathclyde?
I have kept involved with the Space School as much as I can, and was a team mentor during the 2014 and 2015 programmes. I will also be a mentor during the 2016 programme, and I’m already looking forward to meeting the new cohort of students and this year’s NASA guests. Each year is just as inspiring, rewarding, and enjoyable as the last, and the Scottish Space School is a great reminder of why I study engineering.
What advice would you give to people who are thinking of applying?
The advice I would give to anyone considering applying is simple: definitely apply! The people you get to meet are incredible, the challenges you get to take part in are great fun, and the whole experience of living on a university campus for a week is brilliant preparation for going to university. Add to that the chance to go to Houston, and it really is an unmissable opportunity - and a week I still rank as one of the best of my life.