Emirati engineer inspires girls to dream beyond limits

A girl who grew up with Barbie dolls has become the UAE’s first Emirati woman aerospace and aviation engineer, despite sweeping rejections in her choice to explore her inquisitiveness of the then-to-be-yet-explored.

Speaking before 40 Grades 10 and 11 students of the National Charity School for Girls on Monday, Engr. Marwa Al Mamari later on told Gulf Today that they who randomly asked her a dozen questions about how she has reached where she is now and if ever she still has dreams yet to be fulfilled, led her to reminisce her own school days.

Additionally, the mother-of-two said that society has a “big role” in helping future generations “structure their lives towards excellence.”

“Both men and women were given their own talents and skills. We all experience difficulties. There would always be support. Seek them,” Al Mamari stressed.

Part of the 10-year partnership of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority-recognised school in Dubai, with the Dubai-headquartered Action Care, that espouses educational development programmes, the visit and talk of Engr. Al Mamari has to do with the “Trailblazers_Girls in STEM” initiative of the iMatter arm of the engineering and technology company, Taqeef Middle East.

“It is in response to the growing demand for future-ready education that empowers with real-world skills,” according to Action Care managing partner/general manager Dr. Cherryn Kelly.

School principal Weam Omar Abdelfatah Jaber said that while Al Mamari’s inspirational talk is attuned with the UAE Ministry of Education’s emphasis on the propagation of the relevance of Science-Technology-Engineering-Maths (STEM), “building future leaders” means wisely equipping each child with life skills necessary, in order that their classroom theories are not put to naught; but, help them charter even the all the uncharted they may be encountering in their adulthood.

“STEM does not replace traditional roles, it enhances them. A woman can be both an engineer and a nurturer, a coder and a caregiver. As society modernises, the most empowered women are those who combine cultural values with modern skills. STEM is a key part of that bridge,” said Kelly.

She added: “Women are the first science and maths teachers their children encounter. A STEM-literate mother raises curious, capable children. Tech-savvy mothers can also guide their children through digital safety and critical thinking online.”

Meanwhile, among the 14 to 16-year-old audience who clapped at least five times during the talk of Straight A+ student Al Mamari, was Grade 11 Raghad Alrefai. Alrefai sees herself as a Cybersecurity engineer because all generated data must be guaranteed safe and secure.

Al Mamari stated: “It does not take someone to be smart to be where they want to be. It takes someone to be committed and consistent to achieve their goals. I started off and decided early on to become a doctor because that is my family orientation. I was working on to becoming a doctor because at that time, that was the in thing; a perfect well-paying job. Throughout your journey you would be encountering situations, challenges, inspirations that would change course.”

The medical student shifted to Civil Engineering: “Believe it or not, I did not grow up playing with airplanes and cars; fixing this and that. I was a Barbie Girl. I was playing with Barbies every time; building them houses.”

The aerospace dream occurred in high school. The determination, commitment and consistency to pursue it thereafter percolated primarily because the field was unknown. Only a man’s world wherein Al Mamari found herself being accompanied to additional “academic sessions” by either her father or brother because “all of my classmates were men.”

“It is that urge to learn, the urge to experience that which elevates you education and career-wise,” Al Mamari, emphasised.

“Family is important in the pursuit of the dreams we create. Family is my priority too,” she also stated in her interactive inspirational talk.

Among the inspired were Grade 11 Ensaf Amir Ahmad and Rimas Alassoli who believe that persistence and focus pay forward.

According to the University of North Dakota website, Aerospace engineering is important because “its influence extends beyond flight and space exploration, impacting many critical aspects and modern life and global society, defence and security.”