Who are you, what is your job role and what do you do?
I’m Mairéad Reid, a Graduate Electrical Project Engineer at Freedom. I hold a first-class honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Music from the University of Glasgow.
In my current role, I work on large-scale engineering projects, supporting senior engineers with design calculations, technical reports, and research. I’m passionate about using maths and science to solve real-world problems, and my role allows me to contribute to innovative, sustainable, and efficient solutions in the energy sector. It’s a dynamic and exciting career where I’m always learning and growing.
How did RS support your student engineering journey?
The RS Student Fund provided crucial financial support for the "RF Racer" project, which was a hands-on learning initiative I worked on during university. The funding allowed my team to purchase key components like toy car chassis and RF chips, accelerating our progress significantly. It also helped us expand the scope of our outreach activities, allowing us to engage with a broader audience of high school students and spark their interest in RF engineering. Without this support, we wouldn’t have been able to develop the prototypes or share the project as widely, making the RS contribution essential to our success.
What inspired your project, and how did you come up with the idea?
The "RF Racer" project was inspired by a desire to make radiofrequency (RF) and microwave engineering more accessible and engaging. These fields are critical in everyday technologies like smartphones and Wi-Fi, yet they’re often seen as highly technical and difficult to grasp. Our idea was to create a fun, interactive way to teach RF concepts, especially to high school students, by designing a remote-controlled car whose performance depends on the strength of its RF signal. By incorporating hands-on learning and antenna design, we hoped to simplify complex principles and inspire the next generation to explore STEM fields in a creative and approachable way.
What challenges did you face during the development process, and how did the funding help you overcome them?
One of the key challenges was sourcing the right components to build functional prototypes that were both cost-effective and easy to use for our target audience. The RS Student Fund allowed us to purchase essential parts like RF transceivers and toy car components, enabling us to focus on refining the design instead of worrying about budget constraints. Another challenge was ensuring that the project was not only technically sound but also engaging and accessible for high school students. The financial backing gave us the freedom to experiment with different designs and improve the educational aspects of the project.
Has this experience influenced your career aspirations or opened new opportunities?
This experience has had a significant influence on my career aspirations. Working on the "RF Racer" project gave me a deeper appreciation for RF and microwave engineering, as well as a passion for education and outreach. It also strengthened my interest in applying my engineering skills to real-world problems, particularly those involving cutting-edge technology. The project taught me the importance of collaboration and open-source knowledge sharing, values that I carry into my current role. It also opened doors by giving me the opportunity to present the project at various events, expanding my network and exposing me to new career opportunities in the engineering sector.
Are you a student with big ideas but limited resources? The RS Student Fund offers up to £1000 to support your engineering or tech-related projects, societies, events, and more. At RS, we believe in empowering the next generation of engineers and innovators. We understand the challenges you face in turning your ideas into reality, and we're committed to helping you succeed. Apply now, and let us support you in shaping the future!
Visit our website to apply: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/content/discovery/education/studentfund
Mairéad Reid, a Graduate Electrical Project Engineer at Freedom.
The Student Engineer is a special channel of The Engineer aimed at educating and inspiring engineering undergraduates about the career opportunities in engineering and also offering practical advice on how they can access these opportunities.
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