We asked Stuart to tell us about winning I’m an Engineer, and here is what he said…
Wow, what a fortnight it has been! It’s been full on manic at times with tonnes of questions in the insane live chats, followed by even more in the “Ask” section, but has always been great fun throughout. My fingers are only getting back to normal typing workloads now! We’ve had some really technical questions, some bizarre requests and lots of “what if” scenarios pitched by the students, leaving us engineers scratching our heads!
What has really struck me is how forward thinking and conscientious the students have been, with a large focus on their questions being about how we, as engineers, contribute to society and the future of the planet. This has really made me think about the work I do how it impacts society as a whole.
All in all it’s been great to see young people so engaged with engineering, and the other engineers and I have hopefully encouraged some of you to follow in our footsteps. Thank you all for your exuberance and enthusiasm, it really did make the fortnight fly by!
To my fellow engineers in the Robotics zone and wider afield, you have all been fantastic and it’s been a pleasure to inspire the next generation alongside you. You’ve all done some fascinating things and it’s been wonderful to hear all about them.
Winning the prize money is a huge bonus, and although I’m sure that all the engineers would have done extraordinary work with the money, I can’t wait to get started on my mini robotics kits for use with schools. Thank you to all the students who thought my chat was good enough to warrant their vote, it really does mean a lot!
Finally thank you to all the “I’m an Engineer” team who made it all possible. Your hard work and professionalism has made this a brilliant experience for all involved.
It is clear that everyone involved in this programme has a burning passion for engineering and I hope some of that passion has been kindled in the students. I’ll do my bit to keep fanning those flames so look out for my robotics kits coming to a school near you!