My Story: Sisters doing it for themselves
When Helen McEvoy (20) was filling out her CAO, she said she "had no idea what I wanted to do in college."
Art was her favourite subject at school,
Our Lady's College Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth and one of her
teachers recommended the industrial design course at the National
College of Art and Design (NCAD), but Helen felt she wasn't creative
enough for an art college.
"The BSc in Product Design in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) was the next best thing for me," she said.
"I wanted to keep my options open, and now
when I come out of college, I can go into the design industry,
engineering industry, even marketing or something like that. You can
branch off, it's not just one set career."
However, it took a while to adjust after
attending an all-girls' school. In a class of 20, Helen is one of four
girls, and she hadn't been able to study engineering or technical
graphics for the Leaving Cert. Although she initially struggled to catch
up with the boys in her class who had that background, she now loves
her course, particularly the more hands-on work. At the moment, she is
part of a team building a delivery device for asthma sufferers using
wearable technology.
This month, she will jet off to Hong Kong
for a semester studying abroad, and her younger sister Anna (19), also a
student at DIT, will be taking up her room in Dublin.
After a last-minute change to her CAO form
the night before the deadline, Anna was offered her first choice of
engineering, and is now in her first year.
"I was very indecisive, but I wanted
something that had a maths element to it and a little bit of art and
design. I really like the course, it's kind of challenging, but that's
why I picked it - something that would challenge me but that I would
still enjoy."
Anna loves the practical side of her
course, and her favourite class is design projects, where she works on
designs for bridges and space modules.
Last year, she won an Intel Women in
Technology scholarship, which aims to encourage a new generation of
high-achieving women to take up the challenge of a career in technology.
The scholarships, which are open to females beginning a relevant third
level qualification, include an annual financial award, placement
opportunities at Intel and the provision of a mentor.
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