Born and bred into a family of engineers, Keir Smith was bound to develop a strong “life-long” passion for science and technology.
The 23-year-old from Aberdeen first took interest in the profession after watching his grandfather and uncle thrive in the industry.
And now, Mr Smith has come top of his class after earning a degree in mechanical engineering at Robert Gordon University (RGU) with four job offers on the table.
Although the pandemic posed a huge challenge for him in the last two years, he never backed down and focused on achieving his goal with resilience and determination.
“My final year was by far my most rewarding at university, and it was a true lesson in getting out what you put in,” Mr Smith said.
“I gave my fifth and final year my full attention and commitment. The result was straight As for the whole year, which is something I’ve never achieved before.”
Throughout his studies, Mr Smith enjoyed the practical aspect of the course, which gave him an opportunity to take part in a variety of projects.
One of them was produced in collaboration with RGU’s future energy technology specialist Professor Mamdud Hossain and later presented at a conference.
Time for a new chapter
Reflecting on the last five years spent in university, Mr Smith said the advice and knowledge he gained from his tutors has been invaluable to progress in his career.
He said he is now excited to roll up his sleeves and start his first graduate job as an engineer at TechnipFMC in September.
“Year upon year it’s been like a force of an nature – just an instinct to keep on going.
“I definitely feel enriched from the experience – it’s expanded my mind, and helped me develop my problem-solving skills,” he said.
“I believe the knowledge gained will stick with me for just as long as all the hard maths and equations, and I look forward to developing this in the first role of my career.
“There is a lot of pride but it also feel very natural. Five years is definitely enough time to bookmark this one chapter and move on to the next one.”
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