Entrepreneurial Peter on right track for graduation
Inspirational Master¡¯s student Peter Gillan is getting ready to celebrate in style this week as he graduates First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering.
During lockdown, Peter founded a new business Atlas Smart Technologies, which integrates an app with smart dumbbell technology, securing ?10,000 in backing from Queen¡¯s Students Union¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Den competition.
Alongside his studies and business Peter also played an integral role in Queen¡¯s Formula Racing team ¨C building an electric car which they will race at Silverstone race track this week ¨C setting off the morning after he graduates. He and his teammates will compete against students from universities across the UK at the Formula Student event.
Peter comments: ¡°I¡¯ve really enjoyed my time at Queen¡¯s. It¡¯s provided a great balance between academics and extracurricular activities. I learn more by working on extracurricular projects and Queen¡¯s has provided the perfect avenue to explore that.
¡°Queen¡¯s Formula Racing has proven to be the highlight of my university experience. There are around 40 people who work together to build a car each year. We race at Silverstone against other universities, providing an exciting environment to develop our engineering abilities.
¡°I¡¯ve been involved with Formula Student for five years now. Working on Formula Student helped me put academic theory into practice and has helped prepare me for industry ¨C it has played a huge role in developing my engineering abilities.¡±
Peter adds: ¡°Studying Mechanical Engineering at Queen¡¯s allows students to develop a lot of transferrable skills, strongly emphasising problem-solving and logical thinking. This transfers to many different disciplines and opens various career paths.
¡°A particular highlight of my time at Queen¡¯s was studying in the Engineering Leadership program. This is an industry-backed course that aims to prepare engineering graduates for leadership roles post-graduation. Through the program, I was able to work as a warranty engineer for Aston Martin Lagonda. It prepared me to apply for the Royal Academy of Engineering Leader¡¯s scholarship, which has proven invaluable in helping to further my personal development.¡±
Peter is now taking a few months off to volunteer in Tanzania, as well as further developing his business, developing a new app ¨C STRONGER. He will then start a new job as Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company in London.
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