This is way overdue, but guess what? I’m in the Science Museum! Yes, you read that right—little ol’ me, Tanda, has been chilling in the Science Museum in London for the past year. Eek! I’m one of the engineers featured in the brand-new Engineers gallery that launched in June 2023. It’s still wild to say that out loud.

So, how did this happen? It all started with my work with the Royal Academy of Engineering for the “This Is Engineering” campaign. The campaign is all about showing off the super diverse world of engineering, and in my case, it highlighted the cool fusion of technology and fashion that I got to work on at ASOS, where I kicked off my career.

Honestly, I still can’t believe it—ME, in the Science Museum! Kiddie Tanda is losing her mind right now. I remember going there on a school trip and absolutely loving it. And now, to think that my photograph is in it? Mind-blowing.

I’ve got this gallery of photos of friends and family who’ve visited, and every time I look at it, I get all teary-eyed like, “WAAA!” Seriously, thank you to everyone who’s come by to support. It means the world to me.

There was a time (okay, a looong time) when I struggled with being SEEN as an engineer. I was always proud of myself, but owning it in front of others? Cringe! But being featured in the Science Museum forced me to really own it . It’s such an honor, and honestly, being recognised as an engineer—especially the kind of engineer I would’ve looked up to as a kid—makes me so proud.

Ha throwback extracts below from my Tumblr and my notes app. LOL, shout out to past Tanda I was a total newbie and unsure about this whole engineering path.

I really hope this encourages anyone on a similar journey, or just grinding away at something they’re passionate about.

My big dream is to have a long-lasting career in engineering, solving problems that fascinate me. But most importantly, I want to be that dope Black woman in tech who inspires others. I want to see the day when young girls just KNOW they can be engineers without a second thought.

This whole experience is so overwhelming and hard to wrap my head around. Shoutout to the Jamaican security guard who pulled me aside and said, “We need to see people like you in spaces like this.” That meant so, so much.

The gallery is FREE! So go check it out. You’ll see my face alongside some other brilliant engineers who’ve made HUGE contributions to the field. ✌🏾