Buckie High talent receives boost through new mentor scheme
It’s winter 2012 on a windswept oil rig and a father has just passed his daughter’s homework to his fellow engineers so they can help her decipher the correct answers to a set of science and maths questions.
This was the first sign of Gaby Rennie’s determination as a child growing up in Buckie to learn more about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Over a decade later, Gaby’s passion for STEM has come full circle, following her delivery of her first mentoring programme for young people in her hometown.
Gaby said: “Sometimes I would struggle with my maths. My Dad worked offshore, so he would ask his friends to help me with my homework.
“When I left Buckie to go to university, I’d talk to friends who had grown up in bigger cities and find they’d had access to so many more resources.
“Buckie is a fantastic place so when I was invited to attend my former high school to talk about my career, I saw an opportunity to help share as much of my knowledge and experience as I could.”
Gaby has worked at Leonardo since joining as a graduate in August 2022, having gained an integrated Masters degree in Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde.
A global industrial group that builds technological capabilities in aerospace, defence and security, Leonardo employs thousands of engineers to create cutting edge technology used to protect UK air space.
Over six months Gaby regularly travelled 180 miles from her base in Edinburgh to her former school, so she could provide one-to-one mentoring. Each stage of the programme was designed to give pupils access to information she wished she’d had at the same age.
Two sixth year students who have benefited are Abbie Farquhar and Eliza Strachan, who have each now forged plans for their first moves into potential careers, after spending months building their awareness of their potential choices.
Abbie, who is planning to go to college to study social care or childhood practice, said: “Gaby has done an amazing job at helping us with finding information and giving us some helpful skills we will definitely use throughout life.
“Her support has helped me feel more confident when it comes to writing things such as CVs or personal statements, so I feel more prepared for interviews.
“She has also helped me figure out what I would like to do in the future and helped me find the path to get where I want to be.”
Eliza, meanwhile, plans to study Product Design at Edinburgh Napier University in 2026 after taking a gap year.
