Clare Xu is an audio-visual consultant at our Gold Partner ARUP who has volunteered at our one-day events for high school students. We asked her why she chose to donate her time, and why her company supports the Power of Engineering.

Can you tell us about yourself?

I design audio-visual (AV) systems for buildings across a different industries such as arts and culture, commercial, education and government. Arup’s goal is to “Shape a Better World,” and  supporting organisations such as the Power of Engineering is one of the ways we aim to do that. A better world is one where we can celebrate diversity in an inclusive and accessible workplace, with a workforce representative of its social demographics.

WHY did you volunteer at a Power of Engineering school event?

I often feel very underrepresented in my industry of AV, ICT and security. I hadn’t considered engineering as an option until applying for university, because I didn’t have  exposure to it throughout school. It’s through showing support by volunteering for events such as those held by the Power of Engineering that we can address this gap that sometimes exists in our communities.  

WHY is it important for school students to meet real-life engineers?

It can be difficult to envision yourself in a role until you have the chance to chat with someone in that profession. The conversation that takes place can introduce students to paths they hadn’t realised were available or of interest to them, and creates a space for students to openly ask questions the second they pop up. 

WHY is it important for students to see what real engineering companies do?

Engineering companies are always changing and adapting in attempt to create solutions for the world’s constantly evolving problems. Roles are not rigidly defined, so there’s always room for creativity and innovation. Hopefully students can see that within these companies, they can let their ideas grow and there’s really no limit to what they can accomplish independently or in collaboration with others. 

WHY would you recommend volunteering with Power of Engineering to others? 

It’s very important for high school students to understand the career paths that are available to them. Power of Engineering events create an opportunity where students are encouraged to think in new ways. In doing so, they learn more themselves, their strengths, and how those strengths can be used to fuel their aspirations.