Harry Cooper

I have a passion for Engineering, specifically Renewable Energy Engineering. I applied for this Scholarship to help support me turn my interest into a career, especially one in which I can leave a positive impact on the world. I knew this Scholarship would provide so many opportunities, such as connect days and mentoring, all of which I can use to meet new people and make connections with likeminded people in the Engineering industry. In addition, I felt that the scholarship would also help support my school and raise the profile of engineering among the other pupils.

How did you feel when you found out you had been awarded a Scholarship? (Who is your sponsor?)

I was delighted to find out I had been awarded with an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. The achievement boosted my confidence and self belief in what I could achieve with focus and determination. It delighted me to know I had the opportunity to develop my understanding of engineering through the connect days and mentoring. I looked forward to furthering my passion for Engineering and taking the next step and making these connections through the Scholarship.

It was incredible to receive the funding by B&CE Trust to help support our F24 Electric car project that a team of us were working on in school. The scholarship helped to support my passion for Renewable Energy.

What have you put your funding towards so far?

The funding went towards my school engineering project which was an electric formula 24 car which was designed, built and raced by the students. I was part of the engineering team in which I was able to put into practice the skills we had learned about in the classroom. We qualified for the international final at Silverstone then we travelled over to England and ended up placing really well.

The support from my sponsor (B & CE Charitable trust) has been greatly appreciated and has allowed me to further develop and make improvements to the car.

My individual funding went towards educational resources such as renewable energy engineering books and additional background reading to enable me to complete the F24 project and further my knowledge base regarding the huge field of engineering.

 
What opportunities have you had as a Scholar? (Has it opened any doors for you? Any stand-out experiences?)

Through events such as connect days, webinars, work experience and mentoring, I have been able to refine my ideas about how I can further develop my studies. In addition, this scholarship opportunity has also helped me prepare for independent study at university.

To have a mentor who is an engineer has been great, as we have been able to chat to and find out more of what it is like to work in the field of engineering. It has helped guide me and to make educated decisions on my future.

What is your mentor like? (What do you talk about?)

Overall, mentoring has given me a unique insight into life and work as an engineer. It has been interesting to hear the stories of how my mentor ended up working in their current job and how they developed a passion for it. Reading about careers in engineering only given information at one level but actually discussing the career with an engineering mentor gives a much deeper understanding of what is involved and has fuelled my passion for this career.

What would you say to a student thinking of applying to Arkwright?

I would strongly encourage anyone who has a passion for engineering to pursue this  and apply for the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. It has taught me to give everything a go and do not be held back by the doubt of not achieving. I also feel that I learned a lot from the application process through writing the application, preparing for the aptitude exam and for the interview. The entire journey, whilst challenging, was very rewarding and developed a broad skill set and passion which I will carry through university and my career.

What are your plans for the future after your Scholarship?

I am planning to study Renewable Energy Engineering with the University of Exeter. My goal is to work in the industry to help create sustainable development and a positive future. I also have plans to travel through my work and gain a much more global perspective of renewable energy. Through my university studies and then later through my experience in UK and overseas I hope to work towards solving the energy shortage and storage problems.