A former student from The Manchester Grammar School has been recognised as one of the country’s leading young engineers after being awarded a prestigious scholarship.
Tony Liu, 19, from Heaton Mersey, Stockport, is one of just a few elite young engineering students to receive the Diamond Jubilee Scholarship from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Tony left MGS in 2014 and, after a gap year, took up his place reading Engineering at St Edmund Hall College, Oxford, in October 2015.
Only 102 Diamond Jubilee Scholarships were handed out to students who achieved at least 3As in their A-levels or Advanced Highers and who accepted a place on an IET accredited engineering or technology degree course in autumn 2015.
The IET and its partners have invested £3m in the UK’s up-and-coming engineering talent over the next five years to tackle the lack of engineers.
As well as a financial reward, Tony will also now benefit from mentoring and work experience placements through the IET’s extensive networks.
Tony said: “‘In the process of my Engineering degree I’ve learnt how broad this discipline is, and I hope this Scholarship, along with my membership of the IET, will push me to work my hardest.
“If you are someone considering Engineering as a degree then hear me out. It’s not necessarily the Engineering part of the degree that will be the foundation of your future, but the skills you learn and your experiences along the way.
“The work ethic you must have for such an intense degree coupled with the analytical style of thinking prepares you for a lot of different things, I’m sure you have heard this a thousand times before but that still doesn’t make it any less true.
“Engineering is just the start, and how much you want to shape the future depends on how far you are willing to go.”
Patrick Thom, head of sixth form at The Manchester Grammar School, added: “I am delighted that Tony has won this award, but I am not surprised. Tony was an exceptional student here, combining excellence in his core subjects with a broad range of interests.
“It is telling that two of his 4 A*s at A-level were in English literature, and religion and philosophy, unusual for an engineer. I am sure that he will thrive at Oxford and will continue to gather further awards as his career progresses.”
