Women’s History Month: Celebrating Elevate’s Brilliant Female Engineers
According to a study led by the University of Hull in 2020, 90.7% of engineers in the renewable energy sector are male. This is why, for Women’s History Month, we want to shine a spotlight on Elevate’s brilliant female engineers who have thrived in this industry despite the systemic odds stacked against them.
Yasmin Harris-Boadi, Electrical Engineer
Yasmin Harris-Boadi (pictured on the left) had always wanted to do something challenging and decided to embark on engineering following a friend’s encouragement. The field with its constantly evolving possibilities excited her, and she developed a particular interest in electrical engineering due to its renewable potential. She upgraded to a Master’s in Engineering during her second year of university because of her excellent academic performance. She then participated in a graduate scheme for two years before finally joining Elevate.
As an engineer, Yasmin no longer looks at buildings the same way. Now whenever she looks at a building, her mind jumps to the functionality behind the walls: the multicoloured wires, the insulation, the pipework that transports hot water, the heating system—the building services that make it habitable. Engineering has made Yasmin more logical, as she applies the problem-solving principles of the industry to her daily life. It has also made her more disciplined and passionate about self-learning because engineering is a field where you learn on the job. Being aware of what goes on behind the scenes in buildings has heightened her enthusiasm for sustainability and drive to locate creative solutions to climate change.
Lack of female role models and mentors in engineering were the biggest challenges throughout her career. It meant that she often didn’t have the confidence to speak up in meetings. With three years of experience under her belt now, Yasmin has gotten more comfortable with voicing her ideas and is looking towards project management as the next step. Pursuing engineering in itself has given her more self-confidence because she never thought that she had the ability to design complex systems and yet here she is, a key member of Elevate’s electrical team.
“To all the young female engineers out there: Anyone can do it. Engineering is the future, and there’s lots of space for everyone.”
Kymoya Maxwell, Graduate Electrical Engineer
Kymoya Maxwell (pictured on the right) is our skilled Graduate Electrical Engineer. From a young age, she had a way with numbers and equations, so when it became time to choose a career path, she eagerly embraced engineering. She took all available STEM subjects in school before enrolling at a BTEC college, where she was the only woman in class. The gender disparity continued at university with only 5 out of 90 students being female. After graduating in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kymoya joined Elevate where she is continuing to learn about the intricate world of crossed wires and clean energy.
The lack of female role models in engineering really weighed on Kymoya throughout her professional life, leading to low self-confidence and a fear to present ideas during her first few months at Elevate. This is why she hopes she can be one for young aspiring female engineers, aiming to mentor student interns when she reaches a more advanced career rung in the future.
Kymoya has never regretted her decision to join engineering. It has sharpened her critical thinking skills and fostered a fascination with finding out how things work. Now when she encounters a problem, her first thought isn’t panic, but rather: “How do I solve this?” Working in the sustainability sector has also increased her awareness of her own carbon footprint and she always looks for ways to be more environmentally friendly in her daily life, like switching off lights when leaving the room. Clean sources of electricity are key to decarbonisation, and Kymoya is excited to keep using her skills to save the planet.
“People are always going to ask: ‘Are you sure you want to be in a male-dominated world?’ Ignore them, and just do it.”