I joined the Welding Centre at Cranfield University in 2011 I since then I have had different roles. I started as a PhD student in laser processing of dissimilar metals for shipbuilding and now I work as senior research fellow and project manager of this amazing research programme. I really love my job. I have the opportunity to work in different research projects, support students, teach and work with diverse people from academia and industry. Before joining Cranfield I studied Mechanical Engineering in Portugal. Why did I choose this subject? Should not it be only for boys? The answer is no. During the MSc course I had very good colleagues and worked in very interesting projects which created the foundations for the work that I do now. The reason for choosing Mechanical Engineering was my passion for cars. Recently I got involved in a very important project that changed my life. I became a mum of a handsome boy. He is now starting to explore the world and I love taking part of it.