Yewande Akinola

"Purpose is an ongoing thing… You don’t wake up one day knowing all that you’re supposed to be about. It reveals itself through action, the process of trying things."

"Digital engineering sits right at the heart of this progress and the big change is now we have the ability to build a project twice."

"With great times and also challenging times, I have come to really appreciate the beauty of engineering. The creativity, the daring to dream, and the art of storytelling conceptual ideas; achieving an exact expression of sequence, relation, and logic is what creates the built environment and technologies that shape and influence our daily experiences."

"People you work with always require you to demonstrate your expertise in whatever you do, so I am constantly working to ensure that I am able to demonstrate competence, and bring something new and creative to the table."

"Engineering in a work environment is all about finding correct solutions to real life problems/challenges."

"I enjoy carrying out relevant research as well as speaking to lots of people. This always helps to improve my knowledge."

"The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that work is very practical. Engineering in a work environment is all about finding correct solutions to real life problems/challenges. University is mainly about gaining the theoretical know-how to then be applied in industry (work)."

"Engineering is about finding solutions that improve people’s lives and there is a great need for the superb, interactive, unique and creative contribution we all have to offer."

"With creativity, amazing Engineering is possible. Learning the principles of engineering is a great way to equip oneself with the ability to design/build some pretty cool things."

"The fact that engineering solutions are so visible is a great reason for young people to consider careers in the profession."

"By concentrating on the opportunities to develop creative solutions for our world, you can ease the sense of being overwhelmed."

"It’s essential to be part of organizations and programs that foster and support growth. Actively seeking out opportunities to learn and acquire valuable skills is crucial."

"Teaching in Further Education can be a powerful way to share your skills and experience to help shape the future workforce and ensure a strong pipeline of talent entering the field."

"Female industry professionals have a profound impact when they share their skills and experiences."

"Be curious enough to explore and understand engineering solutions from different parts of the world. By embracing these opportunities, you can make a significant impact on the engineering industry and inspire future generations to follow in your footsteps."

"At this point, I realised it was not enough just to inspire people. It was essential for me, as best as I could, to share the tools and the mechanisms for women to grab opportunities to thrive in engineering."

"We must keep believing in the changes we want to see, and we must stay true to ourselves and the progress we’re seeking."

"I believe in huge possibilities and I’ve discovered that there is no lack of possibilities and opportunities out there."

"There will be times when people don’t have confidence in you, but the worst thing is to not have confidence in yourself."

"Where there isn’t that much oil, you can see solar panel farms popping up, wind turbine farms, and there’s that accelerated renewable response because of a lack of a natural resource."

"If I’m receiving this amount in grants, it’s because somebody believes in me—somebody thinks that I have a role to play in ensuring that engineering can become the tool for that economic development in my country."

"We need our allies, and sometimes it gets tiring, so it’s a balance. We have to take care of ourselves and step back and know that actually we’re doing it on our own terms."