b'Member News November 2020 29From the engineering communityLife during lockdown: Young Professional Mariya Tarabanovska talks staying positive in a post-COVID worldCurrently studying for an MEng in AerospaceMy two years of A-level studies were especially tough for me. Not Engineering at Manchester University, Mariyamany people know that much Tarabanovska (23) was determined to be andetail about my origin, but the engineer from a very young age. 90% of myfact that you have no home toCOVID-19 impactreturn to and all your family and family are engineers, she says. Seeing myfriends are now refugees in yourAlthough Mariyas university closest relatives dedicating their lives, their healthown country having to relocatehad to close back in March to other regions - that was thedue to the pandemic, her and time to improve the lives of others was toomost difficult to get used to. studies didnt come to a powerful of an image to erase from my mind. complete halt.From studying Product Design at Central Saint Martins College,I had to write my Now the Vice-Chair of theUniversity of the Arts London,dissertation sat at the very IETs Aerospace Technicalhoning her skills as a designsame desk in my room for Network (TN), TN Rep for ourI want my family to beengineer at heart, to gettingtwo months straight. Its Young Professionals Communityproud of me but eveninvolved in many once-in-a- been tough mentally. It Committee and an Educationlifetime opportunities andwas also very difficult to Officer for the IET Education team,more so, I genuinelyprojects, Mariya was alwayssee the whole world get Mariya is already making her markwant to make a positivetrying to truly engineer a solution.absorbed by the pandemic; on the industry by sharing hereveryone was afraid, about love and knowledge of aviation. impact on the world. I believe you shouldnt give up ontheir familys health, about your dream and remain focusedthe future ahead. I was A flying start but at the same time you needcertainly one of them. to her studies studying GCSEs while alsoto do things outside your careerLike many others acrossremotely finishing my schooland keep developing yourselfthe globe, Mariya also felt Some of my earlier teachersin Ukraine, which I ended upto be a well-rounded person. the impact of adjusting toin Ukraine didnt think I wasfinishing with a Gold MedalI became a STEM Ambassador,a virtual world.smart enough to pursue afor the Highest Academicvolunteered in museums and technical career, she says.Achievements. air shows, went on a Flight TestWe all moved to online Ive always been determinedHowever, navigating twocourse to the US, where we flewmeetings, Zoom and Microsoft to prove them wrong. schools wasnt the only difficultyboth manned and unmannedTeams calls, as well as emails, Arriving in the UK to continueMariya had to face It wasaircraft for two weeks, returnedshe says. The TN delivered an her studies, Mariya was alsodifficult to manage the factto intern at BMW MINI, startedextremely successful webinar determined to finish herthat the very same year when Ivolunteering with the IET, wason the topic of UAM with over final year at her school backfinished my GCSEs, the war inasked to join a start-up and500 people registered and in Ukraine. I found myselfmy hometown, Donetsk, started.interned in one of the universityover 300 attending on the internships in my first two years. day, with many more watching on-demand.I lead the topic of Urban AirI think it will only get Mobility (UAM) in my role as abetter the more practice Vice-Chair in the Aerospace TNwe have and the more as well and have now startedeveryone adapts to the my own initiative called Flightvirtual norm collectively.Crowd (flight-crowd.com) aimed at raising awareness of the UAMSince joining the IET, I feel like industry among the general publicIm making a difference to the and shaping public perception onworld and havent regretted the future of vertical mobility. it since! We have the chance to create a positive Im in engineering becauseimpact on society, which is I love it. Im in Aerospaceimportant now more than because I always walk withever. Remember to look after my eyes towards the sky andyourself, and your mental I am so keen to help bring theand physical wellbeing!Young Professional Mariya Tarabanovska future of air mobility closer.'