Katy's Story

Attended Northampton Academy 2021 - 2022

My name is Katy, and I'm a former student at Northampton Academy. I left the Sixth Form in 2020 with the cohort that had their final year cut short by COVID-19. I'm currently in my second year at Loughborough University, studying Mechanical Engineering.

The transition to university was tough, especially for a STEM course with one of the heaviest workloads. I would highly recommend joining societies and clubs at university, one related to your course and a fun one. There are many options for engineering, from Engineers without Borders to WES to Robotics and Formula Student. You'll find loads of support from older students there as a bonus. Talk to your friends, tutors, lecturers, etc., if you are struggling with your workload. They're never as scary as they seem.

I want to thank Northampton Academy so much for the support and contacts provided whilst I was in Sixth Form. I was interested in engineering, specifically in Formula One, and the school put me in touch with a valuable contact. Since then, she has personally provided me with two work experience placements and has just helped me secure a work experience placement at Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains. As you can imagine, that is the absolute pinnacle of where I want to be and get my career started. None of this would've been possible without the Careers Department's support, guidance, and insanely good knowledge of everything to do with the industry.