In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, we profile two undergraduate students who are forging their paths in engineering at Churchill College, Cambridge.
From childhood fascination with theme park rides to building elaborate hamster adventure parks from toilet roll tubes, Chloris Wong and Janice Ma represent the diverse pathways that lead young women to engineering. Both from Hong Kong, these second-year engineering students have found the perfect home at Churchill
For Chloris, who moved to London for sixth form, the appeal of engineering formed during her school years. “I always loved arts and crafts but also really enjoyed science and the possibilities of using maths and science to create something that solves a problem in the world,” she explains. Initially considering architecture, she ultimately chose engineering because, as she puts it, “the buildings don’t move!” Her countless visits to theme parks as a child planted a seed of fascination with the engineers who created those “fantastic objects” that brought joy to millions including Michelle Hicks, a female engineer with a company designing roller coasters.
Janice’s journey began with childhood summers building ambitious projects using cardboard toilet roll tubes she’d collected throughout the year, ranging from marble runs to a giant hamster adventure park! Working alongside her chemist father on small experiments fostered her love for hands-on problem-solving, while her artistic nature found expression in model-making and drawing. Later on, a robotics internship proved pivotal to cementing her engineering aspirations: “I really loved the design process and application of maths and physics to make it all work!”
The transition to Cambridge might seem daunting, but both students have found Churchill College to be the ideal environment to thrive. The College’s STEM-focused community, where 70% of students study science, technology, engineering, and maths subjects creates a uniquely supportive atmosphere. With a large cohort of 19 engineers in their year alone, they all sit together in lectures and this sense of community extends beyond the lecture halls with a big college engineers group chat that helps them navigate both academic challenges and career decisions. Janice was also drawn to Churchill after spotting the extensive on-site facilities in a YouTube video, particularly the playing fields – she is the current co-captain of the Women’s Football team – and the Music Centre with its Steinway piano.
The College’s dedicated resources for engineers have proved invaluable. Janice and Chloris both highlight access to the engineering shed, the Bill Brown Creative Workshops, and the College’s dedicated engineering society, ChuEng. Regular networking opportunities, including the annual All Engineers Dinner and Women in Engineering events supported by the CORE Fellow Dr Rachel Thorley help connect current students with alumni and industry professionals, providing inspiration and practical career guidance.
As part of Cambridge’s engineering degree requirements, both students are gaining crucial real-world experience through internships. This summer, Chloris is looking forward to spending seven weeks interning with Archipelago Technology, a Cambridge-based consulting firm developing sustainable inkjet technology for packaging replacing plastic. Janice completed a machine learning internship working on fire-fighting robots last year and is broadening her skill set with an eight-week project management role this summer.
The breadth of Cambridge’s engineering programme is another asset. “My favourite thing about the engineering course at Cambridge is the breadth of the course – we cover all six specialisations,” Chloris notes, explaining how she’s discovered unexpected interests in materials science alongside her anticipated love for mechanics. Janice remains focused on robotics and product design, areas that perfectly marry her technical skills with creative problem-solving instincts.
Both students’ journeys from curious children building contraptions to young engineers tackling real-world challenges show how engineering combines technical skills with creativity and problem-solving. At Churchill College, surrounded by supportive peers and excellent resources, Chloris and Janice are well-positioned to make their mark in engineering while encouraging other young women to consider the field.
International Women in Engineering Day celebrates women engineers worldwide, playing a vital role in encouraging more young women and girls to pursue engineering careers in a field where they remain significantly under-represented.
