What was your dream career when you were younger?

Lead singer in a rock band.

What subjects did you study at school?

I studies English, Modern Studies, Physics and Computing in school.

Who or what has been your biggest inspiration?

Some great STEM leaders I’ve been lucky enough to work with and learn from who inspired me to take up STEM and engage others in brilliant ways. There are some incredible women in technology leading innovation right now and I’m really proud to be in this role.

How have the subjects you studied at school helped you in your career?

Science and maths helped me understand how things work and how to problem solve, one of the main parts of my role. STEM is an essential part of our lives now and part of pretty much every career. I’m happy I started to think technically young and think it is so important that children and young adults are exposed to STEM subjects to prepare them for the inevitable exposure to it in the ‘real world’.

Please briefly describe your STEM journey since leaving school.

I left school to follow teaching which I didn’t think was for me. Fast forward a few years working in office roles, building on my skills constantly and I started to work in project support and management with a few data focused roles. I quickly became incredibly passionate about digital work and how much I was learning about how the world around us works and how we can improve it. Ironically, as a Scrum Master and manager in an Innovation centre, I spend a great deal of time teaching others and engaging adults and todays youth in STEM work. I work for a company who are passionate about driving STEM in schools forward and helping people see the varied and great roles there are out there. A scenic route but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What skills do you utilise most in your career? 

Problem solving, people management, coaching, planning, enabling development and agile delivery.

What advice would you give to any young people considering a STEM career? 

There are so many interesting STEM jobs! Try lots of new things and don’t be afraid to try things that seem hard. You spend so much of your adult life in work, make it something you love and look forward to getting up for in the morning. STEM genuinely gives you the chance to think about how the world works and how we can make it better.