Orbital was lucky to have Elyse Millard join the team, spending time in Orkney, Edinburgh and even on the O2, as part of her internship. We asked her to provide some insights into her time with us.

Name: Elyse Millard

University: University of Strathclyde

Degree Pursuing: Master of Engineering (MEng), Aero-Mechanical Engineering

Title: Project Engineer Intern

 

The Work Itself

“The majority of the work that I undertook was done with the mechanical engineering team but my computational fluid dynamics skills were also utilised within the hydrodynamics/blades team to run simulations.

“I used my skills to develop new methods to tackle mechanical engineering problems that will hopefully still be useful to the team in years to come. Owing to my skill set in computational fluid dynamics, I also developed case files that can be edited and reused for a multitude of problems.”

 

Embracing Challenges

“The engineers encouraged me to challenge myself, which really improved my confidence and put me in a mindset where I was excited to tackle new problems head-on. I appreciated their belief in me and that inspired me to stretch my imagination to find solutions.

“While improving my skills I gained the confidence to step up to become Head of Aviation at my University, the Strathclyde Aerospace Innovation Society – StrathAIS. The role is based heavily in design work, and it’s only after my internship that I have a new mindset after gaining real-world experience. I’m now convinced that I can deliver my duties well and teach a lot of what I’ve learned with Orbital to my team.”

 

Part of a Team

“Whilst I consulted with the other engineers for their advice on my problems, I found by the end of the internship other engineers were equally asking me for my input. This really helped to integrate me into the team and it was very insightful for my learning to be able to give my opinions.”

 

Advice

“I wasn’t entirely sure what career path I wanted to take upon leaving university, but after this summer, I’ve confirmed my desire to work within the renewables sector. Orbital has inspired me to step up and help make a difference in the climate crisis.”