"An engineer doesn't have to look a certain way" says 22-year-old, who hopes other girls will follow in her footsteps
Megan Naylor has a love of all things fast and loud.
“It started when I was really young and went with my parents to pick up a relative from the airport,” she recalls.
“I couldn’t stop staring at the planes, I was fascinated!”
Now aged 22, Megan has big ambitions to work within the Aerospace Defence Industry.
“Over the years, my interest grew from planes to military aviation,” she explains.
“I’m interested in the challenges that address the future of defence aviation, currently specifically focusing on through-life support of growing fleets and on the disruptive capabilities of Additive Layer Manufacturing.
“I am ultimately looking for opportunities to work on-base with the RAF in a support role.”
In addition to pursuing a Masters in Aerospace Engineering in Sheffield, Megan also ensures she carves out time to encourage school-aged girls to study STEM subjects.
“I’m currently studying engineering at Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy, and it’s a very male-dominated sector,” she says.
“When I got into engineering, I didn’t see it as something unusual for a girl to be doing.
“I’m lucky that I’ve had some very strong female mentors, and have done quite a bit of STEM ambassador work on behalf of SELA to try and encourage other females into engineering.”
And while Megan is confident about her goals, she says she understands better than anyone how off-putting stereotypes can be.
“At school, I really struggled with maths, and loved arty and creative subjects, which felt completely at odds with my passion for aircrafts and engineering,” she says.
“I wrongly thought you had to be super-technical to do the job I wanted to do, and was concerned that my A-Levels were a bit of a mixed bag - maths and physics, along with English and politics.
“I now understand that it’s that creativity and communication that makes you an engineer that works well with people.
“Yes I’m chatty and personable - and that’s exactly what helps me to articulate my ideas.
“You don’t have to look or act a certain way to be an engineer; if you’re interested, go for it.”