From London Academy student to space engineer: Emily’s journey
Emily Cox grew up in North West London and was a student at London Academy in Edgware, a Future First member school. She’d always dreamed of working in the space sector but like many young people, she didn’t fully understand the range of careers available or how to get there.
“In my mind at the time, my options were either to be an astronaut or a physicist,” Emily recalls. “Originally, I didn’t connect engineering with working in space at all. I thought engineering was just about Design Technology or fixing cars.”
A series of fortunate events
During her time at London Academy Emily attended several careers events and workshops. One that stood out was a Women in Engineering session organised by Future First.
Because she hadn’t yet made the connection between engineering and space she didn’t immediately see the link between the speakers and her ambitions, but the event planted a seed.
Later, when a form tutor showed her the career paths of real astronauts, which included electrical engineering for some, the pieces began to fit together.
Emily says “That’s when I started to think about engineering differently. When it was time to choose my university course, I was initially considering Theoretical Physics but then I overheard someone talking about aerospace engineering, looked into it, and realised it covered everything I was interested in.”
From dream to reality
Emily went on to study Aerospace Engineering at Manchester University, followed by a master’s in Astronautics and Space Engineering at Cranfield University. After an internship at ClearSpace, she was hired as an Associate Engineer and is now a System and Mechanical Design Engineer.
Back to school
Today, Emily returns to schools as a Future First volunteer, sharing her journey and inspiring the next generation.
“I would have loved to meet someone who worked in the space sector when I was at school. Now I can be that person for someone else. Not every young person is interested but when they are, you can see their eyes light up and I love that.”
Emily believes alumni bring something uniquely powerful to careers education:
“We show what’s possible. If I’ve done it, anyone can do it. Young people see someone like them and think, ‘maybe I could get there too’.”
“But relatability works both ways,” she continues. “When I go back to my old school, I can see my younger self reflected in those students. I love being able to give back to the community I grew up in.”
Her advice for young people?
“Just try. Don’t limit yourself. If you’re interested, do it.”
And for other alumni thinking of volunteering?
“There’s such a wide range of careers out there! The more people who can show what they do and how they got there, the better.”
“We show what’s possible. If I’ve done it, anyone can do it. Young people see someone like them and think, ‘maybe I could get there too’.”
