College helped me gain awareness, via the Aspire programme, of potential career paths after A levels and guided me through the process of applying for – and getting into – my desired university. Alongside my studies, I also took part in a range of extra-curricular activities including table tennis and classic album club. One of my favourite course-based experiences was the biology ecology field trip in year 13. Whilst being a fun trip, it also gave me general experience in the environmental sector and has contributed to my decision to take ecology modules in the second year of my degree. Since leaving College, I’ve gone on to study Biological Sciences at Exeter. I love the course because it offers a wide range of modules in the first year that give you a broad view of the subject, perfect for if you’re still unsure what area of biology you want to study. While exams and essays are still a big thing, there is also a focus on coursework – mostly how you perform in practicals. Occasionally, these can be stressful but they do give you great hands-on experience of what it’s like to work in a lab, for example. In my first year, I decided I wanted to switch to a Master’s degree programme as it provides an opportunity to do an extended lab project in a niche area. It’s the sort of experience that would give me a much better understanding of what a career in science may look like. While I wait to see if my request for a Master’s is approved, for my next step I’m hoping to get a summer studentship working in a lab under the supervision of one of my animal biology lecturers. Although it may seem daunting, I would advise Lower Sixth students to start researching universities or apprenticeships early on, just to get an idea of what sort of careers are out there. I’d also recommend keeping on top of your work from the very start because it can be hard to get back on track if you fall behind. Overall, it makes your revision far easier the closer you get to exams. If you’re thinking of studying Biology or a related discipline, do start looking at topics beyond the A level syllabus. It doesn’t have to be a big textbook – there are lots of popular science books on a range of issues to explore. And take a look at different areas of Biology and decide whether you want to do a general degree or specialise in something like Zoology or Neuroscience.

I really enjoyed my time at College! It differed so much from school, and I was able to build my confidence and independence without being thrown in at the deep end: You’re trusted to manage your own time and take responsibility for what you’ll get out of your courses, but there’s always someone to go to if you need support. Unlike school, I loved that I could focus on three subjects that I was passionate about. Business was a great subject for me to take – I still use my learning every day in my current role. Taking dance meant a lot of my free periods were spent rehearsing and planning for future assessments. Studying this subject helped to build my confidence presenting to others, and this was crucial in helping me to stand out during interviews later. Getting to work collaboratively with so many students was also great at building my communication skills, which is now a key part of my job as I’m communicating with different teams, labels and talent regularly. Although I was unsure exactly what I wanted to do after College, I never felt pressure from staff to choose a specific direction. My tutor was extremely supportive, and when I was pretty sure I didn’t want to go to university, she ensured I had access to the people that I might need to speak to, to help me make that decision. Sadly, I left College in 2020 when COVID hit, which meant leaving a few months earlier than planned, without sitting my exams and rather unsure about what my future held. But as a first step, I began working at a local nursery, completed a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification and began to progress to more senior roles. For nearly three years I was confident that my future lay in childcare. However, I realised that I’d rather fallen into working in childcare, having worked at an after-school club while at College and then taken the nursery job after College. I decided that if I didn’t leave and try something else, perhaps I never would. So I took a risk, left the nursery and began looking for an alternative career. I looked at a variety of apprenticeships, but knowing how much I’d enjoyed studying Business, it reminded me that a career in marketing could be a great fit. I soon realised that experience over precise qualifications was key in the industries I was looking to work in, and I thought an apprenticeship would be a perfect opportunity to try a new career and get hands-on experience. Once I started researching, I found apprenticeships in media, which really appealed: I applied and was extremely shocked but happy that from 2000 applicants, I was given the only Content Creator apprenticeship role at ITV Studios! ITV Studios is different to the broadcaster ITV1 – it’s the production and distribution company for different shows, but we do work closely with ITV1. As part of the social team, I create content to promote the shows we produce and distribute. I recently completed my Content Creator apprenticeship with a Distinction, and I’ve been able to apply everything I learned to grow in my role. When starting this apprenticeship, I had no experience in either media or marketing and was worried I might feel overwhelmed or that the risk I’d taken leaving my previous job was too big. However, I soon settled in and everyone, both in the office and on my course, were so supportive that it took away any worries I had about being new to the industry! Day to day, my job consists of clipping standout moments from our shows, filming interviews with talent on set, and finding creative ways to bring ITV Studios’ content to life online. No two days are the same, which is what I really enjoy! I get lots of opportunities to work on many exciting projects in this role, and it’s not all office based – for example, travelling to Leeds to attend and film at Emmerdale’s 10,000th episode event. I got to work with the cast and crew to shoot a video that would celebrate this milestone, which was so exciting for me because I’d watched the show for so long! Recently, I also supported on one of our business-to-business events – ITV Studios Festivals – in which we showcase our content to buyers. Again, this was exciting as we planned and filmed social content with front-of-camera talent. It was a such a fun, full-on day. Working for a large company like ITV Studios has been a great experience because there’s so many opportunities to explore different career paths, I don’t feel like I’m confined to one area of the business. I’ve had work experience across different departments, such as Loose Women for ITV Studios Daytime, and supported a variety of ITV Studios ‘labels’ – these are the different (often smaller) production companies who come under ITV Studios, and there are 60 within the company. I’m really happy in my current role, and the variety has helped me gain a better understanding of ITV and marketing more generally, as well as giving me opportunities to network with a wide variety of people. Something I’m interested in doing in the future is being part of the digital teams who run the social media channels for show-specific accounts, such as This Morning or Love Island. For College students just starting out, I’d say just enjoy your time there! Sometimes there’s so much pressure to know exactly what you want to do after leaving and have everything planned out, but that isn’t how it has to be! I’ve had two completely different careers since leaving College and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The experience you gain from being at College is far more important than worrying about whether you’ve picked the exact subjects to perfectly align with your future career. Many careers are much more flexible than that.

Reigate College is, and will continue to be, a stand-out experience of my life. The connections and experience I had at College are deeply important to me: I met one of my closest friends there and I’m forever grateful for that, especially as friendship and community were deeply impacted by Covid, which significantly affected my university experience. I didn’t have the best time in secondary school. I was always seen as ‘a bit weird’ and being openly neurodivergent didn’t really help that. Because I found the social aspect of school so hard, I was worried this would continue into College, but I was very wrong: I managed to find my place and enjoy the full experience of my education, for which I am hugely grateful. I am always surprised how often I use the information I learned in my adult life and career, especially from Economics and Politics. I would always recommend Reigate College to young people I know – it was so valuable to be treated as the young adults that you are and the teachers were some of the best I’ve had. Receiving a bursary and free school meals meant that despite College being a bit far away from home, I wasn’t negatively impacted and could access my education as well as anyone else. I took on leadership roles such as Women’s Officer for the Students’ Union and volunteered as a Student Mentor. I also enjoyed the Debate Club and Aspire Programme, as these were always interesting. Moving on to university, I had a good first term at Bath but in my mind, the lasting legacy of my university experience was remote learning during Covid with the majority of my degree completed while living at home. Although it had its benefits, as someone who is neurodivergent, it was also deeply isolating and left me feeling like I had lost out on something. That’s something I am still working through. When I graduated, I didn’t have a particular plan and started working in retail because my student loan and bursary came to an end and I didn’t have the money to travel or properly focus on job searches. Luckily, earlier in the year, a Reigate friend had mentioned a paid training scheme called the 2027 Programme which gets working class people into the grant-giving sector. Traditionally the profession attracts white, middle-class people, which is a significant problem given the power and privilege that comes with working in this field. While working on my third-year dissertation, I applied to the Programme but knew that competition was high so I wasn’t that optimistic about my success. But in the August after graduating, I was matched with an organisation and felt a tremendous sense of relief. However, the day before I was due to start, I had a major setback when the job offer was withdrawn with no explanation to me or the programme managers. This was quite devastating and I felt like I’d failed in some way. I’d also handed in my notice, so suddenly felt directionless and jobless. Fortunately, these feelings didn’t last long as I was re-matched with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. This was a brilliant opportunity that meant I could start building my career – something the women in my family haven’t really had the privilege of. As a Grants Coordinator for Battersea’s Asia, Africa and UK grant funding, I worked alongside the most amazing strategic thinkers. My work travels took me to Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was such a fantastic learning experience, developing my leadership skills and how to be a fair and equitable grant funder. As one of a cohort of 20 people from around the country on the 2027 programme, I benefited from professional development sessions, peer learning and mentoring. It was also a space to be honest and open and to discuss difficulties navigating the workplace: this was important, especially for those of us who didn’t necessarily have social capital and industry knowledge within our families. Whether it was learning how to format an email or deal with constructive criticism, it was an invaluable space, and I will keep the connections I made with me for the rest of my career. After 18 months at Battersea, I knew it was time to take the next step and use the plethora of skills and experience I’d gained to make an impact somewhere new. So now I’m a Grants Programmes Officer at Maudsley Charity, which is both an NHS and community funder specialising in mental health. It’s great because we have oversight on how all sorts of organisations are affected by policy, politics and social issues. Currently, I mainly work on the NHS strand, which means I’m supporting South London and Maudsley NHS Trust – one of the biggest mental health trusts in the UK. My role means I’m working to help the communities and people who need support and funding the most, access this. It’s really exciting because it’s a step up in responsibility and I get to manage a small scheme of grants myself. For example, Change Makers grants where Trust staff can apply for up to £2,000 for projects as diverse as staff support, patient support and lived experience. One of my highlights so far has been my work on lived experience and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), including assessing how grant schemes could perpetuate systemic inequalities; writing a blog about my experience as a working-class, neurodivergent woman; and ensuring that EDI is embedded into the backbone of our work. The third sector is more important now than ever: communities and services are stretched thin, and I think the world feels more tenuous and scary than ever. Often, in the charity sector, I think you can absorb some of that and feel a bit hopeless, but I always say pessimism and a belief that nothing will ever change only ever serves the oppressor – everything has the ability to change, and that can be for the better. Of course, plans for the future can be a bit nerve-wracking – what if I have high hopes and goals, but they are dashed and I’m left with nothing? But despite an ever-present anxiety about the future, I am hoping to stay in Grant Making and Philanthropy, as I see it as a great way of being able to right some wrongs and tackle inequalities. I’d love to get to the place where I could coach and mentor, as the informal mentors and coaches I’ve had have been invaluable, both personally and professionally. I’d also love to work more on systems change and develop my skills and knowledge around that. My advice to College students is to take part, contribute and speak up in class – those skills will only get you further and will make everything in the world of being a young adult a little easier. The only thing certain in this life is uncertainty (excuse the cliché) and you don’t need to have everything sorted and planned out. But I would also say it’s important to keep learning. If you stop, you can stagnate and that’s when life and work might start to bring you down. When you’re learning, you are growing and developing, and you can never be limited.