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A former Jersey College for Girls student has received a regional STEM Ambassador award for her work inspiring young people to consider a career in civil engineering.
Rachel Hayden, who was Head Girl at JCG in 2016, has been named Institute of Civil Engineering STEM Ambassador of the Year 2024.
Rachel has accumulated 575 volunteering hours whilst reaching over 29,000 students in the South West of England, from primary school to university level.
Pictured: Rachel Hayden has volunteered over 500 hours as an ICE STEM Ambassador.
Described as an "inspirational figure" for the next generation, her voluntary work included promoting sustainable practices in construction and digital skills and getting teenage girls into engineering.
Rachel, who now lives in Cornwall, currently works as a senior engineer with Williams Sale Partnership (WSP) and also Chairs the ICE Truro City Club, which hosts talks, site visits and activities to promote civil engineering in Cornwall.
She become an ICE STEM Ambassador in 2017, and said the experience had been "incredibly rewarding".
“If it wasn’t for STEM ambassadors coming into my school when I was 16 to run a pasta bridge competition, I might never have known about civil engineering, let alone be the civil engineer I am today," she said.
“It feels good to be able to continue their work and introduce other young people to our industry."
Since 2021, Rachel has mentored sixth-form students through the ICE’s CityZen online game competition and guided civil engineering undergraduate students through the Royal Academy of Engineering’s graduate engagement programme.
She has also mentored students from Jersey College for Girls, helping them secure university places and scholarships.
Rachel has also encouraged teachers to bring industry professionals into the classroom and run training sessions for other civil engineers to help expand the Ambassador network to ensure more students can be reached.
Miranda Housden, Regional Director of ICE South West, said the former JCG student's work is having a "genuine impact".
“There’s an annual shortfall of 59,000 graduate and technician engineers, many of whom are needed in civil engineering, so STEM Ambassadors like Rachel are vital to encourage the next generation to consider a career in our industry," she said.
“Rachel’s dedication is having a genuine impact on young people’s lives. It’s impressive to see how much of a difference she’s made, and we’re delighted to honour her achievements with this award.”
Schools and colleges can request a visit from Rachel or another ICE STEM Ambassador by emailing ice.southwest@ice.org.uk.
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