Jenny Townsend, who is studying Civil Engineering, impressed the judges with her passion and professionalism when she presented to them in March, with ‘a clear and competent manner, showing a maturity beyond her years’.
She was nominated for the competition by her lecturer, Dr Alister Smith.
Dr Smith commented: “This is a fantastic achievement and very well deserved. Jenny is an exceptional student who is also active outside of her studies in sport and volunteering to inspire young people to pursue STEM – Jenny is an excellent ambassador for the School and University.”
As a result of winning the regional round alongside Madeleine Clark from Coventry University, Jenny has been awarded with a £500 cash prize, a trophy, and the opportunity to take part in Women in Property’s mentoring programme.
She is one of 13 finalists to make it through to the national competition, succeeding almost 100 other students from across the country.
Jenny commented: "Taking part in the awards has been a really great opportunity. I was amazed to be nominated, let alone win and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody at the University who helped me put my presentation together. It gave me an opportunity to really explore the issues surrounding water scarcity and investigate potential future mitigating strategies- a subject I am very interested in. I look forward to meeting the other finalists at Claridge's in London in September!"
The awards are open to second-year female students across the UK studying a Built Environment course. It was established to seek out the top students annually and raise awareness of the many amazing and diverse career opportunities within the industry.
The competition is run by Women in Property, a national membership organisation that creates opportunities, expands knowledge and inspires change for women who work in the property and construction industry.
The finals will be held in London on 16 September, government guidance permitting.
Kelly McDonnell, who sits on the Women in Property West Midlands committee and is Senior Business Development Manager with CLS PI, said: “All of us who sat on the judging panels were incredibly impressed with these young women. They’ve had a tough year, studying under challenging conditions, so all credit to them. They will be a huge asset to the industry when they graduate in a year or so. Particular congratulations go to Madeleine and Jenny and we wish them all the best for the final in September.”