Ashleigh Will – BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
Ashleigh is graduating with distinction after pursuing a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering and couldn’t be happier with her results. But her route to university was a bit different from the norm.
“After secondary school I pursued an OPITO apprenticeship in Mechanical Engineering, which I completed in 2016. I was working full time while doing my HND at North East Scotland College. After my HND, I joined RGU in 2018 through the Degree Link programme which allowed me to graduate with a bachelors degree. Although this seems like a long period to be studying, not only do I have my degree, but I have six years of oil and gas experience spanning across offshore operations and multiple different onshore positions therefore gaining knowledge in different areas.”
Ashleigh’s dedication to engineering stems from her childhood love of all things mechanical, “Since I was a little girl, my whole family raced cars; I naturally grew up wanting to follow in these footsteps. I firstly started racing myself and then gained enough knowledge to be working on our rally cars and progress onto building my own rally car.”
Despite studying only part time, Ashleigh benefitted from a complete university experience through her interaction with friends and lecturers. It also gave her the flexibility to manage her busy and ever-changing schedule without impacting her studies adversely.
Ashleigh’s experience at university has given her the confidence to progress further in her career, “Thanks to my academic experience, I know I have the technical knowledge that gives me confidence to speak up in conversations at work and demonstrate an in depth understanding of the tools we use at work.”
Armed with her degree, Ashleigh has big plans for her future, “I am looking to progress to Project Manager with my current employer and hope to travel and gain experience in the company’s many ways of workings across multiple locations.”
She also has advice for those considering studying part time, “A lot of people shy away from university when they have a full-time job as they believe it will be a little too much to handle. I juggled full time work, a change of employment, welcoming a puppy into our home, competing in international racing events, the planning and celebration of my wedding and university in the last two years. Although it was full on, I committed the appropriate amount of time to all the many things going on in my life and I would never have changed my path. I truly believe that if you want something, you will make it happen.”