Eiana was born in Manila, Philippines, and spent part of her childhood up until the age of five living there before moving to England. Even though she moved away at a young age, the Philippines has always held a special place in her heart and was a key driver behind choosing a career within the built environment. As Eiana grew up she began to notice a huge difference between building safety and quality standards in developing countries compared to that of a highly developed country. She channelled her discontent and used it as a source of motivation to embark on a career that could be impactful. 

Initially Eiana wanted to study architecture as she’s always been fond of art and drawing, but one of her college teachers sparked her curiosity in structural engineering when they explained it combined her creative side with her maths skills. This idea was solidified further when she saw a documentary about the building of the Shanghai Tower – the challenges they faced, the solutions they had to pursue, and the determination and passion of the team all reinforced this was the career for her! 

Eiana is incredibly passionate about breaking down barriers, particularly when it comes to women in engineering. She’d like to see younger children getting involved at an earlier age, knowing that engineering is an option for them, and giving them the courage to know they are not limited by their race, gender, or age. As one of SD’s apprentices, she’s the perfect voice and will be doing all she can to encourage the next generation into engineering.