TU Dublin and ESB Celebrate Inaugural TrailblazHER™ Scholarship Launch
TU Dublin staff and students joined colleagues from ESB at ESB Headquarters last month to celebrate the launch of the inaugural ESB TrailblazHER Scholarship, supporting women pursuing careers in engineering.
Developed by TrailblazHER™ at TU Dublin and generously supported by Patron Partner ESB, the scholarship combines financial support with industry mentoring, professional networking and career-development opportunities, helping to address many of the barriers women can face as they progress through higher education and into engineering careers.
The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Ericah Ncube, a second-year Mechatronics Engineering student at TU Dublin’s Blanchardstown campus. Inspired by her experiences growing up in Zimbabwe, Ericah chose engineering with the ambition of developing systems that can make everyday life easier. Having progressed to TU Dublin through the HEAR scheme, she now balances her studies with industry work experience and a daily commute of up to four hours.
The celebration brought together colleagues from across TU Dublin, reflecting the University’s commitment to supporting its students to succeed and to creating meaningful pathways for women to thrive in STEM, from access and education through to industry and employment. Joining Ericah were Dr Dympna O’Sullivan, Director of Research, Innovation and External Engagement; Dr Paul Stacey, Head of Discipline, School of Mechanical Engineering; Professor Sarah Jane Delany, Professor of Inclusive Computer Science; Claire Dunne, Access Support Manager, Jackie Byrne, Executive Director of TU Dublin Foundation; Dr Aoife Blowick, Senior Manager of TrailblazHER™; and Claire Mac Namee, TrailblazHER™ Director and Head of Enterprise Engagement at TU Dublin.
Speaking at the event, Ericah reflected on what the scholarship means for her future:
“A dream is all I have. Thanks to ESB and TrailblazHER™, I’ve been given the fuel I need to keep moving forward because sometimes, a dream is all you need.”
Alongside the financial support, Ericah will have access to mentoring, professional networks and career-development opportunities through ESB.
Orla Gallagher, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for ESB, commented:
“The Energy for Generations Fund is proud to celebrate and support the ESB TrailblazHER Scholar Ericah Ncube. We are delighted to work in partnership with TU Dublin to help encourage greater participation of women in engineering and STEM. By investing in emerging talent today, we are helping to build a more diverse, inclusive, and innovative workforce for the future.”
Dr Aoife Blowick, Senior Manager of TrailblazHER™ at TU Dublin, said:
“TU Dublin is leading the way in empowering women to shape and lead the future of STEM. Through TrailblazHER™, we are turning that ambition into practical action – creating opportunities, removing barriers and connecting women with the financial support, networks, mentors and industry experience that can make a real difference to their futures.”
The ESB TrailblazHER Scholarship is part of the TrailblazHER™ initiative, which works with industry, schools and communities to expand opportunities for women and girls. Since launching in 2024, TrailblazHER™ has grown into a national community led by TU Dublin, reaching thousands of participants and securing more than €1 million in external investment to support programmes, scholarships, bursaries and initiatives designed to remove barriers at key stages of women’s educational and professional development.