Former Pupil Rosalind Aves is only a few years out of School and already making waves. She’s in her penultimate year of studying Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London. This summer, she is joining the prestigious aerospace engine company Rolls-Royce as an engineering intern, having beaten 5000 applicants and winning the Target Jobs UK 2023 ‘Female Undergraduate of the Year’ Award. We caught up with her to find out about her Journey from ESMS into the world of STEM…
Congratulations on winning the Target Jobs ‘Female Undergraduate of the Year’. We were particularly proud to see the work you have been doing to inspire young women to explore STEM subjects.
Thank you. It was really surreal. I didn’t have any expectations for the award, I entered just recognising that the award celebrated many of the core values that I hold. I thought that I might have a fighting chance, but I never expected to win.
You’re about to start as an engineering intern with Rolls-Royce. How did that opportunity come about and how do you think the experience will shape your future career?
Back in October, when I first saw the advert for the Rolls Royce summer placement, I naturally jumped at the opportunity to apply. A couple of weeks later I attended an Engineering event hosted by Target Jobs, at the Arup UK HQ. It was fantastic to network with a group of female engineering students and women from a range of different companies, who were all leaders in their fields. It was really inspiring to hear about their experiences in engineering and learn about the sort of work-based skills that we’d be expected to develop. That was where I was first introduced to the ‘Undergraduate of the Year’ award and invited to apply. It celebrated many of the things that I find to be really important and it had the excellent bonus of including an internship with Rolls Royce.
You are making strides in what is historically a male-dominated environment, how are you finding that?
It’s interesting. I always expected it to be rather male-dominated, especially my course at Imperial. It’s one of the heaviest male to female ratios, with only about 20 female students in my year, compared to over 130 male students. A lot of the other engineering disciplines are better balanced. I came from ESMS where I was in the girls’ school for six years, but I don’t find it challenging. Part of the course is getting you ready for what the world of work is going to be like. I’ve had a couple of work placements so far and everyone is very supportive of bringing all new talent into the industry, so it doesn’t feel like a negative environment to me.
How did ESMS foster your passion for engineering and was there one teacher in particular who helped you to get to where you are today?
It’s difficult to pick just one! There are a lot of fantastic science and maths teachers at the School. One of the first things that fundamentally led to my interest in engineering was back when I was doing my Nat5s, I went on the Florida Physics trip which was organised by Dr Hely, my teacher at the time. My parents were expecting me to find the trip to NASA incredible and it was absolutely extraordinary, but for me, it was the behind the scenes workshop at Universal Studios that I loved, and that’s what made me want to be an engineer. At first, I had my sights set on being a rollercoaster engineer! Everyone there was so passionate, I found it really inspiring. Dr Hely continued to be very supportive and passionate about my journey into STEM, even though he wasn’t my specific teacher for the remainder of my school career.
How do you think your experience this summer will shape your career?
I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I get to work alongside experts in the field that I am really passionate about. Last summer I did another internship at Leonardo, one of the UK's leading aerospace companies and one of biggest suppliers of defence and security equipment to the UK MoD, focussing on radar modelling. However, the modules that I am taking this year at university really lend themselves to the work I’ll be doing at Rolls-Royce. I was really interested in following what was going on with the brand, and I’m hoping it’s going to deepen my technical knowledge and introduce me to the real world challenges of engineering. It’s helped me gain insights into areas of engineering I am passionate about, and hopefully, it will open doors to more opportunities.
What advice would you give to current students at ESMS who aspire to pursue a career in a similar field?
It’s really helpful to look at the different curriculums at different universities, and where possible visit on Open Days. Lots of universities have different facilities, and that can be really important to certain courses. Also, just take advantage of the opportunities. You don’t need to wait until your fifth year. There are so many schemes and courses that give you a taste of STEM or engineering in particular. For me, work experience was a great way to get an insight into the field, but it’s not the be all and end all if you find you are struggling to get placements. For example, you could join a club or attend insight days at companies. I attended a course in aerospace engineering through the Head Start scheme, and that confirmed to me the areas I was interested in. It’s also a great place to meet like-minded students and start to building that network of mentors and contacts.
What is your favourite memory from School?
There are so many to mention! Most of them stem from my Duke of Edinburgh exhibition. I did Bronze, Silver and Gold, and no matter how many midge bites we got, or how wet the weather was, (especially on my Gold, we had to deal with some flooding!) I look back on those exhibitions with really fond memories. It was a great experience and very character-building as well.
You recently completed the Great Glen Way solo. Is it fair to say your passion for the Outdoors started at ESMS?
My old form tutor, Dr Davies, was in charge of our Duke of Edinburgh exhibitions, and he was fantastic at fostering a love for the outdoors. I really appreciated his dedication, and it really did influence my love for the outdoors. I love taking a weekend off, heading out of London, often taking a night bus up to Scotland to go hiking, and then come back for a Monday lecture.
Do you have a personal motto?
Perhaps not so much a motto, and more behaviour I employ; I always try to grab every opportunity that life throws at me. For example, I make the most of taking time off my studies to go hiking, but then I’m also really involved in clubs and societies at university, just trying to make the most of every opportunity. Every experience is a building block which can shape your interests and your future.
