Women might be underrepresented in the aerospace sector, but there’s a fight back underway. Bindi Mahesh Nagda, a former student at the Oshwal Academy, will soon be entering the male dominated aircraft, spacecraft and manufacturing field.
Bindi, who scored six straight As in the recently released ‘A’ level exams, is pursuing Aerospace Engineering at The Florida Institute of Technology.
“I have always been fascinated with science ever since I was a child,” Bindi explains in an interview with the Star. “It’s the curiosity that led me to have an interest in science fiction and what life is all about in space.”
Academically outstanding, Bindi was an active member in various clubs such as the Science club and this saw her participate in the 2012 Science Congress up to the provincial level.
“Science Congress provided me with the platform to be creative and come up with projects which would otherwise be stuck in my mind,” she says.
“For me, science is everything, I have always wanted to study Aerospace Engineering, and I knew it wasn’t the fancy career of choice for my classmates but my motivation came from within. I was determined to pursue it come what may and this determination enabled me to achieve the grades required for the course.”
“People used to ask me if I am sure of what I wanted but in my mind, I knew this was the career path for me.”
She explains that aerospace engineering is not as complex as people think, noting that there’s a great deal of fun and exciting work to do in air and space.
Florida Institute of Technology was not the only school to court her. Asked why she chose Florida, Bindi was resolute:
“I chose Florida because of its reputation as a premier aerospace centre of learning and the favorable weather conditions which I knew I would make it ideal for my living and learning experience.”
“To be honest, the weather was also very key in my decision, you see, in Kenya, we are used to the warm and humid conditions which is more or less the same as in Florida,” she adds.
Bindi is confident that despite low representation of women in the sector, there are many success stories which will inspire others, starting with hers.