RAF Benson Careers Trip - 'If you can see it, you can be it'

What a way to start the Trinity term with joy and enthusiasm for careers!

On Thursday 23 April, a small group of students had the opportunity to attend the See What You Can Be event at RAF Benson where they were able to meet a wide range of high achieving and motivational women who have achieved a huge amount in their chosen careers.

We met the 2024 world’s strongest women, Meg Robson-Austin, Para-Olympian, Shona Brownlee, and Nicole Burger, who attended her first Winter Olympics this year competing in the Skeleton.

Mrs Robinson was ‘arrested’ as we learned more about Crime Scene Investigation in the RAF, students tried on some of the heavy uniform the firefighters need to wear, and we were shocked to learn that there are currently 4,000 male pilots flying for British Airways and only 250 women!

It was such an inspiring event, and the speakers and hosts were very gracious in sharing their stories with us. We all had so many questions for each person we spoke to.

How did the event help you to raise your awareness of different careers?

“It helped me raise awareness of careers because I was previously unaware of many of them, and it was fascinating to learn about each one of them.”

“The event widened my awareness by showcasing that the RAF is far more than just people who fly planes. I was able to see the wide variety of jobs available in the RAF.”

Who did you enjoy speaking to the most and why?

“My favourite was the retired helicopter pilot, as I was unaware about what it entailed and I am fascinated with helicopters. However, it is difficult to fully choose one person that I enjoyed the most, as each person was very welcoming and fascinating. I wish each one of them the very best and thank everyone who made the event possible.”

#QASStrongSpirits #QASCareers #WomenInSTEM #InspiringWomen #DefyingExpectations  #RAF #CareersInSTEM #AllGirlsEducation #LeadFromTheStart