Jennifer’s favourite subject at school, ever since she was eleven years old, was mathematics. She loved it so much that she chose to study Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Chemistry at A-Level, and was also fascinated by space. This combination led her to study Mathematics with Theoretical Physics at university, where she got her first taste of coding.
After graduating, Jennifer became a Data Analyst, and was soon promoted to Data Reporting Lead - all within just a few years. From the outside, her career looked like it was going perfectly. But Jennifer realised she wasn’t truly enjoying her day-to-day work, and she had a growing interest in something different: Software Engineering. Even though switching careers meant going back to a more junior role, she took the leap. Today, she works as a Software Engineer for Boeing, the aerospace company, where she solves complex problems and uses data to help build better technology.
“Switching direction, even if it feels like starting again, can lead to a career that’s a much better fit.”
Jennifer’s journey wasn’t always smooth. When she chose to study her A-Levels at a local college rather than staying at her secondary school, her results weren’t as strong as she’d hoped. This meant she had to complete an extra “foundation year” before starting her university degree. At the time, it felt like a setback - but it turned out to be one of the best things that happened to her, giving her time to settle into university life before her degree even began.
Jennifer credits one teacher in particular - whose enthusiastic and fun approach to maths in primary school sparked her love of the subject - as a turning point in her life, even though she can no longer remember the teacher’s name.