We were delighted to hear from Madeleine Warburton, an AES alum and former Arkwright Scholar. Now working as a third-year Apprentice Offshore Wind Turbine Technician at RWE, Madeleine reflects on how the scholarship helped shape her confidence, broaden her understanding of engineering, and support her journey into the renewable energy sector. Here’s Madeleine’s story.
What made you apply for the Arkwright Scholarship?
After finding out about the Smallpeice Trust during lockdown, I was able to attend online sessions in different aspects of engineering and really enjoyed finding out about different disciplines. I then found out about the Arkwright scholarship looking on the Smallpeice trust website, and knew what I wanted to do for a-level and the future lined up with the requirements to apply, and thought that this would be a great opportunity to practice the interview and application process, and a big bonus to get the Scholarship itself! Upon reading more about the program I also felt that having such a prestigious scholarship would aid my ambitions to go into the renewable energy industry, and the online resources and mentoring would greatly support my A-level studies.
The application process was really useful, and it was the first interview I had ever sat, but I quickly learnt that talking about something that you are passionate about is very helpful for getting comfortable in talking to interviewers!
What opportunities or experiences did the scholarship open up for you?
The mentoring section of the scholarship really helped to develop as a student. My mentor greatly supported my coursework and helped build essential skills for the workplace, supporting CV development, interview prep and teaching me about his sector of civil engineering. The monetary section helped me partake in in person courses with the Smallpeice Trust and helped me invest in the textbooks required to pass my course.
The in person courses helped with widening my knowledge of different industries and processes that are out there which helped inform my decision on what I wanted to go into as a career, and the knowledge learnt has helped developed my base knowledge of lots of different systems.
How has being an Arkwright Scholar influenced your career or studies?
It has helped greatly improve my confidence in a professional setting. Through the Arkwright scholarship I was able to deliver a speech to a panel of professionals virtually to talk about the effects of fast fashion and alternative
ways of a sustainable and circular economy. I was able to network in different settings like University open days and connect days, learning more about different industries and jobs.
My mentor supported me in my studies and helped keep my coursework looking polished and professional, and the skills I learnt from this has helped me with my job creating presentations as part of my studies. All these things that built up over the 2 years and helped me prepare for interviews within industry. It has also helped me in developing as a mentor, as since I started my career I have come back to mentor new scholars, and this has opened its own doors, such as being a speaker at the 2025 cohorts networking event.
Can you share a moment or experience that captures what The Smallpeice Trust is all about for you?
My mentor helped to support my coursework by going through some projects that he was involved in, and this helped me to create a case study that allowed me to get the higher marks I required for getting the top grades in engineering.
I think that the scholarship is all about lifting students up to get them a better understanding about different disciplines of engineering, widening up knowledge, encouraging curiosity and nurturing confidence. The scholarship helps to support growth with connect days and insight into different jobs, and encourages to share ideas through networking and speaking with mentors. The whole thing really encourages growth and learning, and is something that I would advise any aspiring engineers to take part in!
With thanks to Madeline Warburton, AES alumni, for taking the time to share her story, we look forward to following her journey in engineering in the years to come!
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