Up until 15 years old, I was still in a blur of what my future career would be like. Engineering was always one of the choices, but it was never a firm one. That was until I entered F1 In Schools back in 2008. Becoming a national champion and then represented Malaysia at the London World Finals in 2009. That changed everything. My participation in the competition as a design engineer not only taught me the technical (design, manufacturing, etc.) aspects of engineering, but provided me a glimpse of its wholesomeness in shaping me as a person. Throughout my experience in F1 In Schools, I learned the value of communication, collaboration, teamwork, as well as research and development, all of which are essential skills of the trade in real life, regardless of the job field.
In particular, I was fascinated by rapid prototyping (RP) during my involvement in F1 In Schools, commonly used for visualisation and testing of car parts before confirming a final design for the competiton. From there, I learned the umbrella technology of additive manufacturing (AM), or popularly known as 3D printing, in which RP is only one of its many applications.
So much so, this has cemented my desire and fueled my passion to pursue engineering. In university, I was heavily involved with various AM projects, which eventually led to my enrolment in a PhD program focusing on AM of metals and alloys in 2016. Fast forward four years later, I am now a PhD holder specialising in AM/3D printing, and I owe everything to that fateful year in 2008. Truly a life changing experience!
