At the age of ten, Aaron Vidal took part in a robotics programme at Imperial. For him, it was a formative experience where he discovered that he thrived in open-thinking environments. Growing up in a home where tinkering, mending and experimenting was encouraged, applying for Imperial's Maker Challenge, applying was a no brainer. In 2025, he joined Imperial as a student on the MSc Design Engineering and became a STEM Leader working with the Outreach team on the same programmes he took part in.

Aaron joined the 2019 Maker Challenge cohort during his A-levels. His experience in the Makerspace was fundamental in his decision to pursue a competitive engineering degree apprenticeship with Airbus and Southampton Solent University, graduating with a first in Electronic Engineering. Working on satellite communication systems at the time of writing, Aaron has always sought out opportunities to engage young people with STEM, appreciating firsthand the impact these activities can have.

“I don’t think I’ve had another time in my life where I’ve had that creative freedom and access to all this equipment. The Makerspace is incredible,” he says. “I really applaud Imperial for actually giving young people access to these tools. These programmes have been transformational for me and I’m keen to pay it forward and help others access these types of opportunities.”

When he joined the robotics programme in 2012, Aaron was the youngest on the scheme - his Dad had to convince Imperial to allow him to participate aged just ten years old. Afterwards, his family were subscribed to the outreach newsletter, which is how he came to participate in a maths accelerator programme, before joining the Maker Challenge.

“My dad is a big ‘DIY maker’. We always had the toolbox on the dining room table. Whenever I wanted to make something, I knew that if I just searched long enough in the toolbox I'd find a screwdriver. I'd find some tapes and duct tape or some super glue and be able to fix something broken. And I think that really inspired a tenacious attitude. If you don't give up, you can arrive at a solution pretty much all the time. I kind of have that problem-solving mindset.”

He’s grateful to both his parents for their early encouragement, including trips to the Science Museum, where he saw the space suit of Dr Helen Sharman - the first Brit in space - and was in awe of the machinery and rockets on display.

Now, Aaron is passionate about access to specialist equipment. “If you don’t have access to something in the first place, you’ll never learn how to use it,” he says. “Where are you going to see a bandsaw if your school doesn’t have one?”

Aaron won the Maker Challenge by creating a costume based on a computer game character (Lucio from Overwatch). The costume included a visor with integrated wearable technology. He’s since further developed the costume and taken it to a number of Comic Con events, to great acclaim.

During his degree apprenticeship in Southampton, he has been able to undertake outreach work with Airbus. “I remember someone coming into school to talk to us about using satellites to collect space debris, and feeling really engaged. I wanted to be that for young people,” he says. He’s passionate about outreach now, particularly as a matter of representation. “I’m of Caribbean descent, and I did notice a lack of people who looked like me when I was young.”

Now in the final year of his apprenticeship, Aaron is considering a masters degree in Design Engineering at Imperial*. He’s also back in the Makerspace as a session leader and gives talks about alternative pathways to academia. He is excited for the future and takes a balanced view of what to do when the odds are against you. “Some things aren't always in your control, but you should do your best when given an opportunity, and have the confidence to put yourself forward.”

*Aaron was accepted into Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering and started in September 2025.

Andrew Tebbutt is Imperial’s Director of Outreach. From engaging with potential partners and funders to doing the behind-the-scenes work to remove barriers within the university, Andrew’s work paves the way for outreach to happen at Imperial. Working at Imperial for 20 years, Andrew has seen the emphasis on schools outreach and engagement shift to become a core part of what Imperial is, and he is determined to ensure that commitment continues long into the future.

“Keeping outreach at the top of the agenda is important. And now, there's more commitment to this than there ever has been at Imperial,” he says.

Andrew’s career has been shaped by early experiences. A childhood spent in local leisure centres where his father worked, voluntary work focused on literacy, and time at Oxford studying English Literature and Russian combined to create a strong interest in connecting with and supporting diverse, vibrant communities. He remembers the ‘shock to the system’ of starting university with a state school background and the novelty of trudging through deep snow during a placement in rural Russia.

Today, Andrew’s passion for connecting and engaging is palpable. He's on the Steering Group of Access HE, which promotes university engagement with underrepresented learners in London, recently focusing on the experiences of students with caring responsibilities.

“You're never an expert in somebody else's lived experience,” he says. “You can only learn through listening. You can only learn through engaging with communities.”

As Director of Outreach at Imperial, Andrew's work involves taking a holistic view of the obstacles preventing successful engagement. “Outreach is a way of engaging with our students before they get to Imperial. It's a way of looking to the future and looking at where there's potential. You don't need any more of a drive than that to get you out of bed in the morning.”

He’s always thinking about ways to raise the profile of outreach, and what the future might look like for Imperial academics who want to share their work with a wider audience. Partnerships are a key area for growth - Andrew is working on various maths initiatives partnering with the London School of Economics and the University of Manchester. “Collaboration can work in any context,” he says. “With LSE and Manchester, there was a natural coming together as partners with a shared endeavour.”

Another part of Andrew’s role – and an area of major change – is philanthropic funding. “Their clear and evident enjoyment of giving back - that's fundamentally what drives the philanthropist,” he says. "But there's much more required now around measuring, evaluation and the feedback loop back to funders. They want to be able to see that you've really thought through what you're doing, and you can show the impact. We're very blessed at Imperial to have staff, academics and students that bring those critical ingredients to make the programmes take off.”

Andrew believes outreach has a bright future at Imperial. “I think Outreach will go from strength to strength and we'll build on this fifty-year legacy. It's absolutely critical, and it's the responsibility of everyone involved now to make sure that happens.”

Through stronger links with Imperial’s Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions teams, the Outreach team is well positioned to continue widening access to Imperial. “There's clear potential to grow, both in terms of the scale and the different types of audiences that we engage with," says Andrew. "I think there's much more we can do around joining up and celebrating the incredible outreach that goes on across our faculties and departments.”

One of Imperial’s strategic goals (as part of Science for Humanity) is to increase the diversity of its student body. “We can achieve this through continuing to innovate in our outreach programmes, through scholarships and through collaborations. Our commitment to helping young people realise their aspirations, harness STEM skills, and thrive in their next steps will always remain at the heart of what we do.”