A mum and aerospace engineer working for defence giant BAE Systems has launched her own pins business as part of her campaign to get more women into the male-dominated profession - and has received orders from across the globe.
Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, who has been selected for the prestigious Northern Power Women Future list 2020, has just become a senior flight systems engineer at BAE's Lancashire site, as well as setting up her own firm.
AviateHer sells enamel pins aimed at showcasing diversity in STEM careers. Showing phrases such as 'this is what an engineer looks like', 'smashing stereotypes' and 'woman in steam', she is donating proceeds from sales to the Women's Engineering Society.
Selling on Etsy, Liverpool-born Krystina said her first batch sold out in less than two days, with sales from far afield as the USA, Canada, Chile, Australia and Malaysia.
Future fast jet developer Krystina, who said she has experienced gender bias in her career, was inspired to go into the sector after watching an airshow while on a family holiday in Devon.
She said: "I was interested in mechanical engineering because I enjoyed science and maths in school but I found my passion for aerospace engineering when I visited the Dartmouth Regatta Air Show with my family when I was 16.
"I absolutely loved the sound of the jets flying over and that was when I knew I wanted to be part of the industry. I went on to complete a Masters in Aerospace Systems Engineering at the University of the West of England.
"Even though I was only one of two females on my course, I always felt included by my course mates and part of the team. There can be challenges, I’ve had experiences of gender bias however I am seeing change in many more allies and people willing to speak out.
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"It’s very important we encourage more women into engineering. There is a shortage of engineers in the 海角视频 and a more diverse workforce is needed to bring different thinking and innovation, which is integral to engineering."
She said gender stereotypes are a "big challenge", adding: "It does start at a young age and I’m very aware now when I go clothes shopping for my little boy and see that typically the clothes are blue colours with cars, trucks, planes or diggers. There is an issue with girls not feeling confident about science and maths subjects in school which does need addressing and they may also be put off by the prospect of being a minority studying STEM subjects or in a future job.
"I think that by showing young girls how engineering is used in everyday products, how they can make a difference and having more women who they can relate to in these roles, we can begin to encourage them into more careers like mine.
"I’m optimistic about the future, I’m seeing more visible women who are role models in engineering and I hope that this will help bring about a more equal gender balance."
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Krystina said she's passionate about encouraging more girls to consider STEM careers as she doesn't want them to think their gender is holding them back because they may be in a minority.
She explained: "We need to push past the gender stereotypes. This led me to become a STEM Ambassador last year so that I could volunteer and talk to young people about my career, answer any questions they may have and especially to show young girls that there are many, many different careers in engineering.
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"I didn’t even know that the job role I have now existed until I started applying for jobs."
Krystina said it's "great" working for a company like BAE, adding: "When I was younger and I decided to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, I didn’t imagine that I would one day be working on the next generation of future combat air system - the Tempest project.
"Having these opportunities and even better to be able to carry out my dream and live in the city that is my home is amazing."
So how did Krystina find balancing being a mum with such an intense job?
"Returning to work was tough," she said. "Following 11 and a half months leave, dealing with ‘mum guilt’ and getting back into a working mind set. We got used to our new routine eventually but childcare can be a juggle if [my son is] unwell. I’m lucky to be able to work part time and have flexible working at BAE Systems which does make things a lot easier. It was a struggle during lockdown but we managed to make it work until his nursery reopened."
Krystina launched the business after having collected pins since she was young.
"I’ve been told many times when asked what I do 'Oh, you don’t look like an engineer'. So during lockdown I tried to find a pin to make a statement related to this comment but couldn’t find what I wanted and thought, could I create one myself?"
The response has been "fantastic", as she explained: "My first batch sold out in under 48 hours. It’s beyond what I expected and I’ve loved the notes I’ve received from my customers alongside their orders.
"After many requests, I’ve even been able to start adapting my original pin for various STEM careers. The best part is being able to donate some of the proceeds to various charities, specific to each pin, so that every time a pin is bought it is also a way of giving back.
"I would love to expand AviateHer into a bigger platform one day but I also love my job with aspirations for my career, therefore I will continue to balance both and see what the future holds."