Saying yes to Aberdeen has provided Natalie Leader with a springboard for a future career in tackling climate change.
Natalie, from Southern California, has graduated with a BEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and is now aiming to go on to work in the renewable energy sector.
Having applied to study at several Scottish universities, the 25-year-old chose Aberdeen because she was impressed by the level of contact she received during the application process.
And once she arrived, she made the most of the opportunities that came with studying at the School of Engineering.
“I have had the best experience as a student attending Aberdeen,” she said.
“I was very involved with extracurriculars, such as a three-day constructionarium I attended where I was the project manager for my team building a wind turbine.
“I was also in a programme called Student Energy Leader's Fellowship where I hosted an energy transition webinar with speakers from the industry, council, and academia.
“I was also a part of the Leadership Academy, Star Award, and Students for Students Mentoring programme, and I participated in the career mentoring programme which gave me a lot of insight into the wind energy sector – I still stay in touch with my mentor.”
During her time in Aberdeen Natalie was involved in climate activism and was a committee member of the Aberdeen Student Climate Network. She was also the Network’s representative on the Student Council.
She hopes to continue to make a difference in her future career. “I would love to be a part of the energy transition,” she said. “I see myself working in the renewable energy sector working on innovative designs that will help tackle climate change.”