Life as a Chemical Engineering Student – Meet Jorja Karmen

In this episode, Steph is back at Teesside University to meet Jorja Karmen, a bright, young Chemical Engineering student and beneficiary of an Enginuity scholarship.

Jorja tells us about her less conventional route into chemical engineering, including how attending a nuclear and radiochemistry summer school in Leeds introduced her to the topic and how she juggled taking an extra course to meet entry requirements while working, post A-levels, as an assistant restaurant manager.

Jorja discusses the impact of being diagnosed with Asperger’s late in Year 11, and how it’s helped her own understanding of the way she processes and thinks, and the benefits that has brought.

Now in second year, Jorja shares why she started the Process Engineering Society at Teesside University, the need for more early representation to encourage girls into engineering and her own career goals.

She tells us why funding support through Enginuity has helped her focus on her studies by reducing financial burden and lowering her stress and outlines her next steps including her hopes for her upcoming placement year.

Watch episode 26

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