Viola Valentine

I was destined for an ‘Accounting and Economics’ profession in Albania, but the move to Scotland also gave me the space to really consider what I enjoyed most - maths, problem-solving, creativity, sketching and visualisation - and what in my subconscious I knew I wanted to become all along.

It was during a maths lesson that the lightbulb went on – I want to be a civil engineer, of course! If only I could somehow combine it with my love of languages and different cultures…

The answer was MEng Civil Engineering with European Studies offered at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. The European Studies element enabled me to carry on studying Italian, French and Spanish, but also civil engineering classes for a full semester in my fourth year at University of Florence in Italy, as part of the Erasmus programme.

Coming from Albania, I was surprised of the distinct gender inequality in the engineering profession in Scotland and the UK. But this worked in my favour. In a bid to encourage women in engineering, Strathclyde University and several engineering companies and institutions invested in me and supported me with the overseas study fees, which I would have never been able to afford myself, and something for which I will forever be grateful. But don’t get me wrong, I made every effort to fully integrate in a country very different to before and I studied hard to graduate from high school with excellent results.

My studies at university coincided with the big influx of Kosovan and Albanian refugees, fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in the UK, with thousands coming over to Glasgow. Working as an interpreter and translator for Albanian and Italian during my studies, I was involved with an extensive range of institutions, including hospitals and health centres, courts of justice, social work and police. I got to meet and support people from all walks of life, the majority of them at their lowest point, but nevertheless with the courage, strength and resilience to build a better future for themselves and their families. Although very demanding at times, this role was also wonderfully rewarding. Not many people can say they have been in the labour room for the births of eight different babies – five boys and three girls, one of which was named after me.

The summer of 2007 was a very exciting time in my life. Good things come in three and within the space of two months I graduated from Strathclyde University with a Distinction, I got married, and I started my permanent role as a graduate structural engineer with Buro Happold in the Glasgow office.

My return to work after the arrival of my first son in 2011 coincided with the transfer to the Edinburgh office in January 2012, as part of the company’s reorganisation. But Glasgow’s call proved too difficult to resist and in December 2012, I joined the Glasgow office of Mott MacDonald as a structural design engineer, working in the building structures and nuclear teams.

My second son was born in 2014 and once again, the company’s office move in June 2017 proved a good opportunity to try somewhere different and smaller scale. Woolgar Hunter Engineers was the right fit and I joined the company in July 2017 as a senior structural engineer.

Alas, this role was brief by comparison and a bigger change was afoot, as I contemplated moving to a teaching role in academia. Having successfully delivered many in-house training workshops over the years on the use of structural modelling and analysis software and the design of vibration-sensitive structures, as well as guest lectures and tutorials in universities and schools in Glasgow, I realised at the time that besides structural engineering, knowledge sharing and collaboration, I was equally passionate about teaching and the opportunity to inspire future generations of structural engineers. I set the wheels in motion and after some serious ‘hoop-jumping’, in September 2018 I joined the very same Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Strathclyde, from which I had graduated eleven years prior.

In my current role as a teaching fellow in the CEE Department at Strathclyde, I am responsible for the delivery of structural design modules in 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th year of study. I am proud of the projects I successfully delivered during my time in industry, and it is very beneficial for my students that I can feature these in the learning material and activities. Students genuinely feel inspired, recognising the direct link between real projects in practice, to the learning and knowledge obtained during their studies at university, and most importantly the positive impact they can make.

I promise to anyone considering structural engineering as a career - the sense of novelty, pride and reward from designing a structure, which is then built for all to appreciate, never wears off.

My biggest achievement in life is my family and I am incredibly lucky to have such a loving and supportive network.

Combining motherhood with industry and academia has been a challenging juggling act at times, especially during the Covid-19 years. But my family make me happy and proud and keep me grounded, inspired and motivated.

I believe us structural engineers have responsibility, but also opportunity to make a bigger difference in addressing the climate emergency and striving for an equal and sustainable world for future generations to come.

My advice to anyone who wants it? Never take life for granted and always strive to make a positive impact however and wherever you can. Surround yourself with people and things that make you truly happy.

Change is usually a good thing, so embrace it and evolve with it. Stay curious, find your passion and just go for it!