The scientist: ‘Just keep working on it”

Hollie Wright wanted to be a scientist for as long as she can remember.

“A while ago, my mum was moving house and I found this little folder of work I’d done in nursery. It was a questionnaire with my favourite colour and my favourite animal. It said there: ‘When I grow up I want to be a scientist’.”

That dream came true. Hollie works as a research engineer at Heriot-Watt University, where she is studying for a PhD in Applied Photonics.

Hollie went straight from school to study Physics at St Andrews University, but keeping on top of the work didn’t always come naturally.

“There were times when I found myself really struggling with the courses, and feeling like I’d fallen behind.” But she says that anyone can succeed with hard work and dedication.

Each day is different, but most of her time is spent in the lab. “At the moment, I’m trying to develop a technique to measure distances with lasers.”

“It can be quite frustrating sometimes. You solve a problem and then you’re on to the next problem. But, at the same time, it’s really exciting. I’m constantly thinking and trying to come up with new ideas.”

Hollie’s ultimate goal is to discover or invent something that will improve people’s everyday lives.

“I’m not sure what that will be yet, but I hope that one day I can eventually feel like I used my work to help people.”

What does it take to be a scientist?

Bright spark

“Never be too afraid or embarrassed to ask questions in class,” says Hollie. “Asking questions is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign you are taking responsibility for your learning!”

“Learning to code is a fun hobby that will impress employers in the future. CodeAcademy, Udemy and RaspberryPi have free resources to help you get started. Plus, once you learn one coding language, it becomes easier to learn more!”