My journey into engineering began with my application to the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship in Year 11. The Scholarships are awarded to 16 year old students who are interested in an engineering-based career, and seek to support the next generation of leaders in ‘engineering, computing and technical design’. Over the Christmas holidays, I completed an online application outlining my achievements and projects so far. I wrote about the chair I had designed and made with 52 biscuit joints and 9 sets of dovetails, and how the process had challenged my problem solving abilities. I also wrote about my interests in the backstage management of school productions, and the different sets and stages I helped to build. The application asked for examples of where I had shown leadership, so I wrote about a Christmas wreath making session I ran whilst volunteering at a local youth club. The application encouraged me to ask myself where I had shown creativity, leadership and practical abi