From the school subjects she loved to solving real‑world challenges - Millie’s journey shows how pursuing what you enjoy can open doors you never expected.
What did you think engineering would be like before you started?
At school, I realised pretty quickly that maths and product design were the subjects I was the best at - I loved creating, designing and fixing things. When my mum suggested engineering as a career, I did some research and quickly knew that was the path I wanted to follow.
There were times where I thought “Is engineering just for boys?” and that felt daunting. But I knew that being a woman in engineering meant I’d stand out, and I wanted to challenge myself.
Has anything about working in engineering surprised you?
The biggest surprise has been how collaborative engineering is. Before I started, I expected mostly individual, technical work - but in reality, it’s full of teamwork, communication and problem‑solving with people from different disciplines and levels.
I’ve also been amazed at how willing people are to help you learn and share knowledge. Especially as a graduate, it's amazing to be able to learn from experienced engineers.
What would you say to a younger version of yourself?
I think my younger self would be surprised that I ended up in a career that matches what I enjoyed doing back then. At the time, they were just school subjects, but now I’m working on global projects and tackling real engineering challenges.
