One alumni steps up and into the spotlight.
Meet Aman, a remarkable alum who traveled from the UK to attend a 2019 Ambassador Leadership Summit at Harvard. We sat down with Aman to find out how she’s been putting the skills she practiced at the Summit to use as a young leader, and it turns out, she’s been busy! From advocating for a transition to alternative energy to inspiring young women to pursue STEM careers, Aman is building a bright future for herself and others.
Ambassador Leaders: Tell our readers about the leadership lessons you learned when you attended the Ambassador Leadership Summit at Harvard in 2019.
The Summit not only allowed me to meet and connect with a diverse group of students and teachers, it also allowed me to learn more about myself—who I am and what I am truly capable of. Creating a project and presentation with my peers was an invaluable experience.
In real day-to-day work life, I know I will be interacting with new and different people, and I won’t be able to pick and choose who I work with. In comparison to school where I know most of my classmates, being placed in an unfamiliar setting like the Summit helped me and my peers to realize our vast capabilities and build new skills. The Summit was a great place for me to challenge myself among like-minded people who aspire to live purposeful lives.
Ambassador Leaders: How do you continue to serve as a leader today? What are your plans for the future?
I am completely in love with mathematics, not just the calculations and equations but the practical applications and connections to the real world. That’s why I want to be an engineer, a professional problem-solver. I truly believe that mathematics and engineering hold the solutions to today’s problems, and by following this career path, I will be able to help people create a more sustainable world using renewable energies.
In August 2019, I received an invitation from the head of my school to be the only student and female representative at an oil and gas conference sponsored by Energy Voice. There, I was asked to make a 10-minute speech for more than 300 engineering industry professionals followed by a panel discussion with oil and gas companies’ representatives. During the speech, my aim was to provide a student perspective into the energy transition, and I discussed three key aspects: the transition to alternative energy, the lack of women in engineering, and what students are looking for when they consider engineering as a viable career path.
More than anything, I want to challenge the stereotypes of the engineering field. Engineering has been a male-dominated industry, which causes women to second guess this career path. It doesn’t have to be that way. One of my goals for the future is to promote engineering from a female perspective and highlight all the benefits engineering offers.
Ambassador Leaders: Tell our readers about your experience at Offshore Europe and your speech at the Women in Business event in Aberdeen, Scotland. How did you get prepared for your speeches and presentations?
After my speech at the oil and gas conference, I was invited to speak to guidance counselors for schools, universities and offices at Offshore Europe. Offshore Europe is a gathering of energy companies that takes place in Scotland and Norway every other year. I was asked to talk to career advisors and recruiters to help them understand where to focus their attention and how to attract young and diverse talent.
I was also invited to speak at a Women in Business event in Aberdeen, Scotland, where I shared my experiences and encouraged parents to guide their daughters into STEM subjects. It was absolutely amazing and everyone was shocked to learn I was "only 17 years old.”
These two experiences were fantastic ways to network with others in the field of energy engineering, and I felt confident to put myself out there because of my practice with public speaking both at the Summit and at the other conferences.
Ambassador Leaders: Tell our readers why you’re an advocate for more women and girls joining STEM fields. Why is it important to have female leaders in the STEM field?
According to a 2017 study, 11% of engineers in the UK are female. Despite this being an improvement from the past, it’s still an alarming statistic. On top of that, the top 50 engineering schools worldwide award only 20% of their degrees to women. I believe that both universities and companies must encourage more women to pursue this field. As a student, I’ve seen how young women are dissuaded from pursuing engineering, believing they lack the necessary skills. This stereotype is damaging.
One way to reduce or eliminate the gender disparity is to tackle these false stereotypes. Representation matters! When young girls don’t see themselves represented in certain fields, they get the impression that there isn’t a place for them. When parents and teachers promote the idea that science careers are within young girls’ reach, it changes how they view things. According to a Microsoft study, 70% of girls surveyed said they would feel more confident pursuing STEM careers if they knew men and women were equally employed in these professions.
Women in leadership roles create a movement by changing young people’s mindset. They show students, both boys and girls, that women being part of this a crucial sector is normal and necessary.
Ambassador Leaders: Finally, what advice do you have for students who will attend the 2020 Summits?
Honestly, the Summit is one of my most memorable experiences. It was an opportunity to push myself to become better than I thought I was. My advice for all young and passionate leaders is to hold on to hope and to keep going no matter what happens. Remember that you—and you alone—determine your self-worth and confidence.
The Summit is an opportunity to explore a new environment and make lasting friendships. One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give is that you should aspire to push yourself as much as you can during the Summit. It is an amazing chance to learn more about yourself and how much you can accomplish when you give something your all.
Read more about Aman’s speech at the Energy Voice Conference:
'Tracking Transition' event spotlights climate change pressure on oil firms
https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/206529/tracking-transition-event-spotlights-climate-change-pressure-on-oil-and-gas/
Aberdeen student urges oil firms to showcase transition efforts
https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/206541/oil-firms-need-to-showcase-energy-transition-efforts-says-aberdeen-student/
By Aman Narain
Aman is a 2019 Ambassador Leaders alum. She spends her time speaking at events to encourage more women to explore careers in STEM and spreads her love of mathematics at a school club she founded to tutor middle and high school students. She is eager to study engineering at university.