Freya Bexon
Freya Bexon: Leading the way in engineering
Part-time MSc Engineering Business Leadership Participant
Freya didn’t grow up with grand plans of being an engineer.
When she was younger, she kept her options open and considered a career as a vet, and one in finance too. It was an inspiring talk from Rolls-Royce at school that led her into engineering.
In her first year of sixth form, Freya struggled with her A levels. With determination and a passion for Maths, she persevered and achieved the results she needed to secure a four-year Degree Apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce.
Freya worked and studied hard on her Degree Apprenticeship, achieving a first-class BEng in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), while dedicating hundreds of hours to STEM educational outreach initiatives.
Her outstanding achievements on her Degree Apprenticeship were recognised at a national level, being an ‘Apprentice of the Year Finalist’ at the TargetJobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2023 and celebrated as ‘Engineering Apprentice of the Year’ at the Make UK 2023 Awards.
Freya was recently invited back as a guest speaker at the Make UK Midlands and East Regional Awards Dinner, an event sponsored by WMG on campus. Although it was daunting standing on the stage in front of hundreds, Freya’s story of her journey, her struggles in sixth form, and her inspirational successes since, resonated with so many in the room.
With an appetite for learning, Freya has taken her next step in her education journey with WMG. Whereas her Degree Apprenticeship was very niche, she looked for a course that would give her an opportunity to understand the business from a broader context. WMG’s part-time MSc Engineering Business LeadershipLink opens in a new window appealed as a chance to enhance her leadership skills and knowledge within engineering. Freya is now in her second year of the programme and has found the experience enjoyable and insightful so far.
What’s next for Freya?
Freya will very soon be going to Italy as a Production Leader for one of Rolls-Royce’s suppliers. Beyond this, she has ambitions to use her learnings from her Master’s degree to move into a management role within her company. It’s not the end of her education journey either; she is already thinking about the possibility of continuing her education at Warwick after her Master’s degree.
Freya’s advice
“Don’t let anyone underestimate you. Persevere. Don’t feel like you are defined by your results. Do what you enjoy, and you can’t go wrong.”