Caitlin Cummings

Profile

During her time at University, Caitlin has been involved in a series of unique experiences, from taking part in our Go Global programme in Malaysia, to presenting The South Sub project to the Scottish Parliament.

On her graduation day, Caitlin reflects on her time at Heriot-Watt and the role it played in building her resilience and confidence to tackle some of life’s hardest challenges.

What programme did you study and why did you choose it?

I studied MEng Civil Engineering because I enjoyed studying mathematics and graphic communication in high school, having taken part in a summer internship with structural engineering consultants, which confirmed my love of the subject.

Did you get any support during your time at Heriot-Watt?

I attended some counselling sessions after the passing of my dad. I also sought out the advice of the Careers Service team, who helped with job hunting in my 5th year.

My student advisor was also very useful throughout the past year, consistently checking in on me to check I was feeling okay.

What’s your favourite / most memorable moment from your Go Global experience?

My most memorable moments would be experiencing the culture and working alongside many different people from a range of backgrounds. It helped me grow as an individual as well as within my work.

Being in Malaysia opened my eyes and provided me with the opportunity to travel elsewhere in Asia, finding confidence in myself to travel and meet likeminded individuals, gaining a close group of friends as a result.

Can you tell us more about your involvement in the South Sub project and what this project achieved?

I was one of the six students involved in The South Sub project, taking part in multiple industry and stakeholder meetings/presentations, event coordinating, community engagement, report writing, research and more.

It was a gruelling 8 months of work that culminated in an almost 200 page feasibility report, a presentation at The Scottish Parliament to stakeholders, MPs and MSPs, a sold out public event, a petition with almost 4,000 signatures, and an invite to the British Conference of Undergraduate Research in Newcastle, along with a further invite to the Light Rail Conference in Leeds to present our findings in July.

What advice do you have for current students?

University can sometimes be hard and stressful but try not to let it control your life, and finding a balance early on where you prioritise your wellbeing and your studies in equal measure will help you throughout your studies.

You can get through it no matter how hard it is because you’re stronger thank you think.

What are you planning to do after you graduate?

I am planning to travel over summer in Australia, before starting a job in October with Jacobs as a Graduate Civil Engineer in Transportation!