I got to know Blessing through mutual connections on LinkedIn. I wanted to learn more about her passion for the Aviation and Aerospace Industry. Here is our interview about her STEM journey.
Hi Blessing, thank you for joining us today. I welcome you to this episode of Words That Count
Hello Winnie. I am very glad to connect with you. Keep up with what you are doing because it is an amazing initiative. It is also a pleasure to be featured on your blog.
Kindly tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Blessing Eseosa Osarumwense from Nigeria. I am currently an Aircraft Reliability Engineer based in Lagos, Nigeria. My job involves collection of data from the aircraft maintenance report, delays, pilot report, technical interruptions and aircraft service records. All this helps to perform analysis to monitor and evaluate the operational and technical performance of the fleet. In simple terms, I use data to ensure reliable operation of the aircraft.
Walk us through how you joined the Aviation industry
As a child, I had different dreams and aspirations at different points in my life. From banker to doctor to actress, haha. But after a while, I realized I enjoyed Physics and wanted to have a career in Engineering. The tough question was, “what kind of Engineering?”. I just knew I wanted to do something different. I watched, on a few occasions, a television program about Air-crash Investigation. The work the investigators were doing seemed really interesting to me and at some point, I wanted to be like them. This program also got me thinking about something else; it began to dawn on me that human beings like me designed and built those aircraft! I started longing to be a part of the prevention of plane crashes.
Coincidentally, there was a book my mum bought when I was in secondary school. The content had to do with various careers listed in alphabetical order and a brief explanation of what each option entailed. So I didn’t really have to go deep into the book before finding Aeronautical Engineering on the list. I still went through other careers but that particular one felt just right for me.
In 2019, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Ghana. I was proud of my achievement but didn’t really understand what I was going in for. I was brave enough to do it anyway.
During my undergraduate studies, some of the things I discovered about the aviation industry was the low female representation; I was one of four girls in a class of about twenty students. This has motivated me to start up an initiative where young females will learn about the industry and it’s various opportunities. I have decided to call it “The sky network”. I also got to know that the Aviation industry is very broad with several career opportunities. This made me dream bigger and made me more open minded about my career path. I am currently also interested in exploring how I can use Artificial Intelligence in Aviation.
What challenges have you faced along the this journey?
God has been so good and I am really grateful for that. The fact that I had to face the reality that my dreams of being part of the active process of building aircraft could not be done in my country was discouraging. However, realizing that there are several other opportunities in the industry is exciting. I also did not know a lot of professionals in the industry to reach out to for mentorship, so this created a lot of uncertainties for me.
What has inspired you to move forward?
Despite the fact that I was uncertain about my career in the industry, I was inspired to keep moving forward due to my passion to work with aircraft and do inspiring work. My parents and siblings are very supportive of my dreams and I am forever grateful. I also want to serve as a positive example for people, especially girls, to be inspired to work hard and go for their dream career.
Tell us about your achievements and awards
I won the SGAC DARA Big data hackathon in December 2020. Being part of a team of four, we competed with nine other teams and came first place. My final year project in school is another huge achievement for me. Being part of a group of seven students, we designed and fabricated a quadcopter (drone) and it was a success. Taking up a leadership position in school shows my growth; I was the General Secretary for the Association of Aerospace Engineering Students, KNUST, 2017/2018. I volunteered with Enactus in University. This is a great achievement for me because I got to work on projects that impacted lives and addressed the SDGs.
Who are you outside work?
I love to watch movies, surf social media and volunteer.
What’s your favourite quote?
“A goal without a plan is just a wish” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
How would you encourage a young girl who is struggling to find her place in STEM?
Do not be discouraged by the representation of women – in terms of numbers – in your field of study/work. Just go for it as far as you have interest and you believe you can succeed in the field. Do not forget to commit your plans to God in prayer as it is important to have God’s backing in all walks of life. Always be confident in yourself and the sky will be your starting point.
Thank you for sharing part of your life through us, Blessing! I don’t take for granted the time you have set aside to participate in this interview. Thank you very much!
