Theo Wride

From an early age, I watched various engineering shows, mainly Top Gear. The comedic element of the show, car reviews and occasional deep dive into mechanical systems helped spur my interest in cars. When I was 13, I received a 3D printer as a Christmas present. Being able to play around, modify and utilise new and developing technology was fascinating to me. Trips to the VW museum and factory in Wolfsburg, Germany and the Airbus A380 factory in Chester inspired my pursuit of an engineering career. I applied to Arkwright as I knew of its exclusive links within the industry. I wanted to use these connections to help broaden my understanding of engineering.

I used part of my funding to purchase an SLA resin 3D printer. This was very beneficial to my A-Level art and F1 in Schools projects. I also invested in numerous engineering books to understand how an engineer thinks and the future of the sector. Having applied to many universities that were far away from home, any remaining money was spent on travel to and from these places.

With Arkwright’s exclusive links to universities and engineering companies, I attended multiple webinars ranging from renewable energy to aerospace. These showed me the wide range of engineering disciplines available and the versatility of an engineering degree. The scholarship also brought me, and a few other scholars, to form an F1 in Schools team. I used my CAD and 3D printing skills to design, test and manufacture a model F1 car. With the SLA printer, I bought with my funding, I produced components for a wind tunnel with students from Imperial College. These projects were deeply enjoyable and gave me access to people and places that are well established in engineering. The added bonus of a personal mentor was also very helpful, especially in my university application. My mentor gave me valuable knowledge regarding engineering courses and the transition from academic studies to a future career in engineering.

I am currently studying Art, Physics, Maths and Further Maths at A-Level. I am enjoying seeing how maths and physics combine and overlap in certain topics. The applied section of maths interests me the most, as I can actually see how it is used in the real world to solve problems. My favourite subject is art, as my project is about new technologies and my love for tinkering with things - I get to play around with VR headsets, digital modelling software and robotics!

I am hoping to study Mechanical Engineering at University, with a year in industry to help gain real-world experience before entering the job sector as a graduate. I would love to be involved in the automotive sector. All areas of engineering are growing exponentially, with exciting developments occurring all the time, so I shall see what the future holds.

The experiences and advice I received were invaluable to both my university applications and general outlook on an engineering career. If you are passionate about engineering and wish to benefit from links with people in industry, universities, and fascinating talks, then don’t hesitate in applying.