"A Dream Come True"

That’s exactly how Szu-Ya Liu felt after she was offered a scholarship to study at WMG. For Szu-Ya (better known to her friends as Cindy), it was the beginning of an exciting journey of academic, professional and personal growth.
2007 saw Cindy at a crossroads in her life. She had spent a few years working for a global logistics company in her home country of Taiwan. During three years of that, she also devoted every spare moment to studying towards an honours degree.

“There were sacrifices of course,” described Cindy. “My social life and other interests were largely put on hold as I studied most evenings, but I was determined to do well and gain a good degree.” That attitude paid dividends when she came in the top three on her course with a 92% score.

This focused and single-minded approach (not to mention capacity for hard work) also secured Cindy’s scholarship with WMG. “I was delighted,” she said. “I really wanted to study in the UK, improve my English language skills and experience the culture. To be offered a scholarship by one of the top ten universities in the country was a dream come true.”

Once at Warwick, Cindy soon discovered that her one-year MSc course in Engineering Business Management would surpass her expectations. “The practical elements of the programme were a huge benefit,” she said. “So as well as academic study across a range of subjects including project management, logistics and supply chain management, strategy marketing and financial control, there were lots of real-life case studies.”

This broad mix of academic and practical work enabled Cindy to ‘see the big picture’ as she put it: developing a well–rounded understanding that would shape her future career direction. When pressed to describe her course in one word, she simply said: “fantastic!”

But Cindy’s life at WMG wasn’t just about study. Unsure whether she would be spending more than a year in the UK, she was determined to experience as much as she possibly could. With her friends, she soon began exploring new horizons. “Yes, we travelled right around the UK, then visited Greece, France, Spain and Germany too.”

As you’d expect though, Cindy was never without her laptop and would often spend evenings completing and delivering assignments when she was on the road. Back at WMG, Cindy found her working environment stimulating to say the least. “There were students from all parts of the world and that in itself was very much a plus,” she explained. “It was fascinating to learn about different cultures, as well as share our working experiences. Everyone at WMG supports each other which makes for a great atmosphere.”

Just weeks into her course, Cindy was already seeking out job opportunities for when she finished her studies. She approached her previous employer which has a number of sites in the UK and Europe, eventually securing a position it its Aberdeen centre. As Project Co-ordinator, Cindy now works at the heart of a busy logistics unit, managing the export of oil and gas engineering equipment to rigs right across the world.

“I actually started my new job the day after I handed in my dissertation,” she explained. “That was a good day!”

Through all of Cindy’s experiences, one key message shines through above all else. In her own words: “Don’t ever give up. Set your sights on your goal and do everything you can to make it real. Dreams do sometimes come true.”

During May 2010, Cindy moved up her career ladder by securing a job as a project co-ordinator at DHL in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her new responsibilities mean that Cindy will have to deal with a number of major accounts such as BP, GE, Subsea7, some of the biggest oil & gas companies in the world. In May 2011, Cindy was recruited by CEVA Logistics and is now Air Exports Manager dealing with all the air freight for the biggest drilling company in the world (Transocean).