My chemical engineering journey!

Wearing those expensive suits and working at a multinational bank in the finance department was all I ever wished for. Little did I know life had other plans for me. During my grade 7-9 (Junior high school), although my mathematics teacher at that time advised me to build on my science capabilities (which I did not realize existed), all I focused on was getting into the commercial class to end up in a banking hall. As fate may have it, after some aptitude test, I ended up in science class. To my greatest surprise, I was also in the technical drawing class, which I enjoyed.

At the point where I had to choose a career to pursue at University level, I had to choose between medical sciences and engineering. Biology always got me at my wits’ end, so I decided to go for engineering. The name chemical engineering seemed attractive, so I decided to go for it. My journey in chemical engineering has not been all rosy, however, with the help of highly qualified academics in the field, I have been able to succeed with flying colours. Today, I have moved on from a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Chemical Engineering, to a Master’s degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Cranfield University, United Kingdom.

My journey so far has made me appreciate the importance of chemical engineers in the society. Its broadness provides the platform to explore different fields and contribute immensely to the improvement of human standards of living. The wide variety of skills acquired in this field also helps in functioning effectively in other engineering sectors. Chemical engineering, being a branch of engineering, which involves the use of life and physical science, fused with mathematics to convert raw materials into finished products at minimum cost, has giving me analytical and problem-solving skills, amongst others, to provide solutions to emerging global challenges while working with experts in the field.

Having come this far in the chemical engineering field, I have loved every step of this journey and looking forward to achieving more milestones as well as providing life changing solutions to global issues such as global warming, valorisation of waste, energy insecurity, so much for a lady who wanted to work in a bank.

Today I live with no regrets, and I am so happy I decided to become a Chemical Engineer. The fear of the unknown is the greatest threat to success. With a leap of faith, you can be all you want to be.