Uriel's story

From Wales, BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering student Uriel Rivera chose Heriot-Watt to break barriers and create a better tomorrow. This is her story.

What made you want to study engineering in the first place?

Honestly, it started with people telling me I couldn’t.

I grew up in a really small village in Wales — like, very small. My uncles are engineers, and when I said I wanted to do what they were doing, people — even in my own family — told me, ‘girls can’t do that.’ I was the youngest of five girls, and something in me just snapped. I thought, ‘Yes, I can.’

Throughout high school, I didn’t get much encouragement either. Some teachers just didn’t take me seriously, and when I went to an Oxford summer school, I was the only girl in my group. They made me do admin while the boys worked on the actual project. It was frustrating.

But that all just made me more determined to prove people wrong. Now, at Heriot-Watt, I’ve had a completely different experience. The guys in my course? They respect me. We work as equals, and they look to me for advice just as much as I do them.

Why take the leap to Heriot-Watt (and to Edinburgh)?

I was looking for a university that didn’t just teach theory. A lot of my friends at other unis like Cardiff or Bristol say it’s all exam-based, but Heriot-Watt is more coursework-focused, more hands-on. That’s how I learn best.

I did an internship with General Dynamics over the summer, and it felt like an extension of my course. We used the same kind of risk assessments and reporting structures. It was amazing to see how much of what I learned here actually applied in the real world.

Also, the facilities — like GRID — are incredible. The equipment, the projects, the spaces to work together… it really sets you up for the kind of teamwork you need in industry.

What’s been different here compared to what you expected?

The support’s been a game-changer. I was terrified when I first moved up to Edinburgh — I was one of the first from my village to go so far away. Most people from home didn’t go beyond York or Newcastle.

I lived on campus in first year, and I relied on the buses so much. Honestly, the public transport here is amazing. If I missed one bus, another came two minutes later. As long as the sign said Heriot-Watt, I knew I was getting home safely.

The Travel Home Bursary helped too — I was able to visit my family during consultation weeks without worrying about money. That meant everything.

What's been your favourite part of the course?

I love the practical projects. We don’t just do abstract theory — we run real experiments, write reports, and solve problems that mirror what happens in industry.

I’m also part of a women’s group chat in our course, and it’s just really empowering. Everyone’s incredible — we all support each other and want to succeed together.

Plus, I’m working with the Royal Academy of Engineering right now, representing Wales. I’m part of a project funding schools that might not have access to STEM resources. I know what that’s like, growing up in a place where NASA visits weren’t even imaginable. I want to help kids like me get those chances.