Lisa Davies

From the moment my Grandad gave me his special spanner and opened up a magical world of nuts, bolts and moving parts - it’s been mechanical engineering for me. For as long as I can remember, I have been taking things apart to discover how they work.

In 2015, I entered my school’s STEM competition with my project Xorbit, a car dehumidifier which sits in the car’s cup holder. It incorporates indicating silica gel, a transparent body so the user can watch it working, and a scented top. With the encouragement of my Physics teacher, I entered and won the Big Bang Competition in 2016 and was awarded the title UK Junior Engineer of the Year. I used the proceeds from both my Arkwright Engineering Scholarship and the National Award to buy a laser cutter, allowing me to develop and manufacture Xorbit. I launched it into the marketplace in November of 2016. Four and a half years later and it’s still thriving and helping me pay my way through university! 

I am currently studying for a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. At University, I am a member of the Formula Student Team, UBRacing, and look forward to leading the Drivetrain Department next academic year.

In 2019, I was awarded the Jaguar Land Rover Spen King Sustainability Award through the IMechE. During the summer of 2021 I was very excited to be starting a 3 month placement at Jaguar Land Rover, working in Body Engineering. During my time at the company, I hope to learn valuable soft and technical skills, while expanding my network, learning first hand from leading engineers in their field.

Thanks to my sponsor, The Haberdashers’ Company, my Arkwright Engineering Scholarship opened many doors for me, most notably through meeting my Haberdashers’ Company mentor, Andrew Tarpey. Andrew has been an amazing contact, introducing me to many new people and providing me with invaluable advice over the past 4 years. As a result of meeting Past Master, Richard Glover, at various networking events, I am honoured to now be an Apprentice at the Haberdashers' Company and hope that in the future I can use my position to inspire the next generation of female engineers.

I would encourage any budding engineer to apply to the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain! If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to grab every opportunity that comes your way. You never know where it may lead you!