As all eyes rested on Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games this summer, BU graduate Becca Yih was part of the team bringing the action to life.
Becca, who completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degree in product design at BU, took up the role of Central Project Coordinator for the games back in summer 2021, just as her Master’s was coming to an end. Over the past 12 months she has been part of a team overseeing all the technology required by the 26 sporting venues.
Becca said: “I saw the role advertised as I was starting to think about my next steps after university and the chance to be involved in the delivery of a home games felt like a great opportunity. I couldn’t have asked for more from my first job; the sense of atmosphere and occasion, as well as the team dynamics of working towards a common goal, made it so special. The few weeks leading up to the games were incredibly busy but there was such a buzz about it. And when the events began, I was able to be there to see many of the competitions.”
Becca’s role included overseeing everything from wireless networks and cabling to projectors and monitors, to ensure that events ran smoothly and that sports fans could enjoy the action both from inside the stadiums and at home. The experience has now spurred Becca on to explore a career in sporting events. She said: “I have definitely been bitten by the bug. Now that the Games have finished, I am moving to Canada and hope to work in sports there. I also have my eye on upcoming events such as the Invictus Games, the Winter Olympics in 2026 and the 2030 Commonwealth Games which looks set to be in Hamilton. Before this experience I hadn’t considered that there were so many careers connected with competitive sport. There may even be opportunities to draw on my product design skills to get involved with the design and branding elements.”
Looking back on her BU experience, Becca recognises that many of the skills she developed on her courses have supported her work to date. She said: “The product design course teaches you to think creatively about problem solving and to plan and organise key tasks. The work placement element teaches you about how to conduct yourself in a workplace and how to work in a team and my Master’s degree led me to work more autonomously. All of these skills have been beneficial as I have taken the first steps into employment after university.”
Find out more about the BA (Hons) Product Design and MDes (Hons) in Product Design at BU.
