Katerina Tsangari
An engineering degree is the best you can have
Katerina Tsangari (MEng Chemical Engineering 2008) believes that an Engineering degree is "the best degree one can have" as it teaches a certain way of thinking.
Katerina works for Coca Cola Hellenic and attributes her degree to this.
"I think that an engineering degree is the best degree you can have, regardless of whether you will follow it as a career or not.
"Studying engineering at Imperial taught me a thinking process/mentality, call it what you will, that enables me to solve problems on a daily basis, to not be confined by what I know and to seek out new solutions to be more effective.
"It also taught me to sift through a clutter of information in order to get to the result I need."
My Imperial experience
My experience of being a woman at the College? I found there’s no difference if you’re a woman or man. Even though our classes were predominated by men (usually 1:3 ratio), I never felt inferior or less motivated in any way."
I chose to study at Imperial as it is one of best ranked universities in the world.
During my time at the College I learnt that you can use process analysis (first-year class in Chemical Engineering) to solve any problem in any field of your life.
I found Professor Stephen Richardson particularly inspiring. He's the person who inspired me to go for forensic engineering and health and safety related fields.
My fondest memory of being at Imperial is the first time we were given control of the CO2 plant inside the Chem Eng building, and we almost blew it up because we forgot a valve closed!
My experience of being a woman at the College? I found there’s no difference if you’re a woman or man. Even though our classes were predominated by men (usually 1:3 ratio), I never felt inferior or less motivated in any way.
Life after Imperial
Currently I am working for Coca Cola Hellenic (world’s second biggest bottler of Coca Cola).
My role is Public and Regulatory Affairs Manager, in charge of consulting in public and regulatory affairs in 12 countries spanning from Armenia to Ireland.
I think that an engineering degree is the best degree you can have, regardless of whether you will follow it as a career or not.
Studying engineering at Imperial taught me a thinking process/mentality, call it what you will, that enables me to solve problems on a daily basis, to not be confined by what I know and to seek out new solutions to be more effective.
It also taught me to sift through a clutter of information in order to get to the result I need.
Advice for girls who are thinking about studying STEM
My advice is go for it! Make the most of what you learn.
It won’t be easy, you will want to pull your hair out and while you are doing a full 45 hour week your friends may be having four lectures a week, but you will gain so much that it will be the best time of your life.
Take that internship during the summer, try your luck at the best placements, take that year abroad, do that extra language, do as much as you can during your time there!
The world will be your oyster and I expect you to crack it wide open, because you, at the end of it all, will be an Imperial graduate.