Aidan Roche

"Sunderland stood out as a great university, and from my previous experiences I knew the city had a good culture, people were approachable and friendly, and it offered excellent transport links.

Before I studied mechanical engineering, I worked as a light vehicle mechanic for several years. I was working in cold, quite poor conditions for low wages. After a death in the family, I decided to reassess my life and better myself. I gained some perspective and decided to pursue a career in engineering.

There were so many good things about studying at Sunderland. I really enjoyed the camaraderie between the students, as I think I would have struggled without the support network we built together. The lecturers are also extremely supportive.

Since graduating, I’ve progressed in my career several times. I started as a graduate asset manager and have since moved into various other roles. I’m currently a technical plant engineer in rotating equipment.

Throughout my career, I’ve used quite a lot of the material science and engineering skills that I learned during my degree, as well as parts of instrumentation. In the industry I currently work in, thermodynamics is something I use regularly. In the future, my goal is to complete a PhD, eventually achieving a more senior engineering role.

If I could give any advice to someone wanting to study engineering, I'd say to always attend, engage in classes, and make friends. I think if you do those three things, you’ll sail through your degree.

Studying at the University of Sunderland was an extremely fun, eye-opening experience where I developed as a person and as an engineer."