Newnham graduate Aurelia Hibbert (NC 2013) was selected as a finalist at the annual British Education Awards, in recognition of her outstanding academic and extra curricular achievements.
Aurelia studied engineering at the University of Cambridge, receiving her MEng in 2018. She was nominated for the award by Dr Jossy Sayir, Associate College Lecturer and Director of Studies in Engineering at Newnham.
Aurelia had an impressive academic progression while in Cambridge, going from difficult beginnings to good results and graduating with honours. In parallel to this impressive academic performance, Aurelia engaged in engineering-related extra-curricular activities with exceptional energy and determination.
Aurelia volunteered for the Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) team as soon as she started her studies, and took over the leadership of the team in the middle of her second year, aged just 19. Only 4 months after taking over, the team went on to achieve the greatest success CUER ever recorded in a competition, when they raced 2,047 km (1,272 miles) on solar power alone. Incidentally, this was also the best British performance since 2007.
In 2015/16, Aurelia intermitted between her second and third year to dedicate herself fully to Eco-Racing. During this year, she spoke at several outreach and technical conferences, and appeared on a TV documentary about CUER. She also represented CUER as a UK Trade & Investment ambassador at the International Business Festival 2016 in Liverpool, and presented CUER’s achievements to the Queen.
In late 2017, she travelled once again to the World Solar Challenge in Australia as a media team member and dealt with a hard situation following a crash where their driver was injured.
In addition to her engagement with CUER, Aurelia was active for the Cambridge University Engineering Society (CUES) where she was instrumental in incepting the role of Welfare Officer. She also consulted for 180 Degrees Consulting, a student-driven consultancy that provides services to non-profits that tackle poverty and homelessness, and worked on a structural sculpture for a Chelsea Flower Show Garden.
Shortly after graduating, Aurelia competed in the CIOB Global Student Challenge for Construction Management and took on a part-time job to help re-build the Cambridge University Engineers’ Association.
Now in its third year, British Education Awards (BEA) celebrates the academic and extracurricular achievements of students in the UK. BEA works promote excellence in British education by celebrating student achievement with the aim of inspiring the pursuit of learning. For more information, visit www.britisheducationawards.co.uk.
Fellow finalists within Aurelia’s category were Olivia Grant, University of Oxford, Chloe Johnson, University of Bedfordshire and Connor Shiqu Qiu, Imperial College London, who was the eventual winner.
British Education Awards organiser, Amin Chowdhury said: “This year’s British Education Awards Finalists have shown an admirable level of focus and dedication to their studies, invariably balancing demanding timetables of external activities alongside their official curriculum to achieve incredible academic results.
“We are extremely proud to be able to honour them at the third British Education Awards and hope that, as BEA Ambassadors, their example will encourage others to make the most of the education and learning opportunities available here in Britain.”