Wednesday 23rd June 2021 is the 8th global annual celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, an international campaign of visibility on social media, that aims to shine a light on our diverse engineering role models, and encourage more people to consider engineering as a profession for all.
This year, women students and staff from EEE have been sharing their journey into engineering and their proudest achievements, along with some words of advice to girls and young women who are thinking about a career in STEM.
Eleftheria Safarika has just finished her first year as an undergraduate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Next year she will be taking on the role of student well-being representative in the department.
Outside of engineering, Eleftheria has a passion for arts and music, and is looking forward to playing the cello in orchestras again soon. She also enjoys latin dance as great way to relax and express herself.
How did you become an Electrical / Electronics Engineer?
“I knew early on in high school that I wanted to focus on a subject related to mathematics and physics, and electricity and electrical circuits were my favourite topics in physics. My final decision on my degree subject was a result of a few different factors and experiences; working on a school engineering project building an electrical car, as well as studying an electronics course in a summer school were the hands-on experiences that turned my attention to the more practical and applied aspects of physics and mathematics. I explored a more theoretical approach to these subjects when I was selected for a particle physics research program in the Greek research centre Democritus. Comparing the two approaches I realised that practice and applications were the most suitable path for me. After conducting my own personal research on university courses and the modules taught in electrical engineering, my decision was solidified. The countless applications of electrical engineering in all aspects of real life, the industry, as well as research, are what really attracted me into the subject. From power engineering, signals and communications, control systems, semiconductor devices, and digital and information systems, I could see countless possibilities to explore within a field as wide and rapidly developing as electrical engineering.”
What’s your proudest achievement as an engineer?
“My proudest achievement as an engineer is managing to obtain a UKESF scholarship for an internship with the company ON Semiconductor, after getting the right preparation and knowledge from my first year on the course. I am very honoured to be part of an organisation as UKESF, with its outreach for involving students in electronics career paths, as well as a multinational and welcoming company like ON Semiconductor, with wide industrial electronics applications. I am confident that my internship experience there will supply me with many useful engineering skills and tools, particularly with CAD circuit simulation, while it will also be illuminating regarding the experience of being in a real work environment.”
What’s your proudest personal achievement?
“I consider it an important personal achievement for me that I have managed to step from a more close-knit community in my home country, Greece, into a city as big, busy, and diverse as London. I find that the independence that I have gained over this year of living alone, from learning how to cook, to managing my finances, to transporting and orientating myself around London, has been significant, and my experiences have supplied me with confidence and self-sufficiency, while I have also learned how to be more adaptable, responsible, and manage my time well.”
What piece of advice would you give to a girl who is thinking about studying EEE?
“EEE is a fascinating field that can lead you down countless paths and will reward you from every aspect if you dedicate yourself to it. Don’t let the stereotype of engineering being a male dominated field intimidate you; your worth will be recognised regardless of your gender. Look at your goal and not the difficulties to reach it, and try not to see gender differences as an obstacle in that path in the first place. From my own experience, gender has not been a hurdle; instead, everyone is treated with equal respect and the focus is on the ideas and the personality of the person, rather than the gender. So my piece of advice would be to not prepossess yourself with the fear that your gender will be a hurdle; speak your mind and your worth will shine through.”