Alumni Profiles
Geography/Geology

Miss Lauretta Aydiner
1997, Human Geography

Employment details
Freelance Journalist

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am now self-employed as a freelance journalist. I enjoy working for myself and would not want to go back to London. I have also launched a new community website company for which I am site editor.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
My degree taught me project management skills which are essential when running your own business as is enthusiam and self-motivation.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Stay motivated and learn to believe in your capabilities.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Ray Hall

What song reminds you of your university days?
Anything by Blur or Oasis

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Chips

What university experience will you always remember?
My graduation day

Was university everything you expected it to be?
It was more. I wish I could do it all over again.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Time with family is precious.

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Mr Adrian Burbanks
1987, Human Geography

Employment details
First Vice President and Head of EMEA Credit Risk
Merrill Lynch Europe PLC

What do you do and what are your responsibilities?
I head a multi-national global team of analysts. My team deals with counterparty and transaction analysis to support global market businesses in Europe, The Middle East and Africa.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Statistical and geographical knowledge come in very handy on a day-to-day basis.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Develop a broad range of skills including lateral thinking abilities, but above all, develop people skills especially listening, understanding and absorbing different ideas and perspectives.

Who at university most influenced you?
Margaret Storie

What song reminds you of your university days?
Come on Eileen

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Sausage rolls

What university experience will you always remember?
Putting CUB together.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
Education, family, classical music and genealogy.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Not regularly but we keep in contact.

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what were your views of these?
Yes, a good way to meet a wide range of interesting personalities.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Mostly those who I lived with during my student days - particularly those from intercollegiate halls.

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Mrs Karen Catterall (née Dickenson)
2002, Physical Geography

Employment details
Teacher
Amy Johnson Primary School

What are your responsibilities?
Primary school teacher, responsible for educating young minds.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Go for it, it is such hard work - the most challenging you will ever do, but the rewards and satisfaction are unsurpassed.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Communication, planning, preparation and presentations.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Myself

Who at university most influenced you?
Friends

What song reminds you of your university days?
Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Chinese

What university experience will you always remember?
Field trips in the snow.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Singing, reading, cinema and musical theatre

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, every 6-8 weeks with my closest group

Your news
I got married summer 2007 and am living my dream.

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Mr Michael Challis
1981, Geography

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
General Manager
Piccadilly Line (London Underground)

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am General Manager of the Piccadilly Line, London Underground. I manage 1,500 staff with 187m px per annum.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
QMC taught me how to learn

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Better

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
No

What are your interests/hobbies?
Art, hiking, travel and transport.

Do you meet regularly with friends, from university days? Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what was your views of these?
Some. Yes, it was very enjoyable.

Martin Chapple
1982, BSc, Geological Sciences
1983, MSc, Industrial Petrology

Employment details
Principal Geologist
URS Corporation Ltd

What do you do?
I investigate and remediate contaminated land for large companies.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Somewhat, although we typically only scratch the surface geology in our business. All that igneous and metamorphic petrology wasted!

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Environmental geology is a very interesting business, well-worth a go, and maybe more stable than oil.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Liked it at interview and my brother attended Queen Mary previoulsy.

Who at university most influenced you?
Frank Middlemiss and Mike Audley-Charles.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Anything by ABC.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Kebabs, usually after a skinful at the Cricketers.

What university experience will you always remember?
My first loves and conquests!

Did you meet your partner at university?
No, but I rue not keeping up with one in particular!

Was university everything you expected it to be?
More so.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
No, but the orientations of the political parties has!

What are your interests/hobbies?
All sorts: sports, reading, brewing and my kids.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Only a couple, I wish it was more.

Have you attended any formal alumni events?
No but would like to. Will probably require some organisation to make sure a gang goes that know each other.

Your news
I married and moved to the US for ten years back in 1988, returning to the UK in 1998, and I have been in Bristol ever since with URS.  I have worked on some really challenging remedial projects in the US and UK. I am now separated but spend a lot of time with my 2 children who are great fun.

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Mr Simon Clemison
1998, Geography

Employment details
Presenter/ Journalist
ITV

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am a TV journalist. I present the regional news in the South and also report on location.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I use the skills everyday. My job involves researching and drawing together the different sides of an argument for which geography was a good grounding.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Be prepared to work for nothing to begin with and to learn that there are artifical rights and laws.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
A former student

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Nigel Spence, Professor Sean McConville, Dr S Curtis, Dr Miles Ogborn, Dr Ray Hall and Dr Ian Williams.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Just a little bit by Gina G

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Jacket potatoes with tuna, beans and cheese.

What university experience will you always remember?
My graduation day

Was university everything you expected it to be?
No, it was different but not in a bad way.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
My political opinions remain the same but the political parties have shifted.

What are your interests/hobbies?
I have two step-sons and they take up a lot of my time when I am not at work. Actively, I like running and I have a sideline in property development.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, I do meet with old friends from university days.

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Mr David Davies
1974, Geography

Employment details
Head of Geography
Truro College
From September 2008 I will be teaching Geography at The English School Fahaheel, Kuwait

What are your responsibilities?
Heading the largest ‘A’ level Geography Department in the country.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Go to Queen Mary - best university on the planet, always has been and always will be!

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
By teaching the subject.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Geography teachers.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Ray Hall, Professor Roger Lee and Dr Lawrie Wright.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Saturday Night at the Movies in Creed Hall Bar!

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Ping On South Woodford Chinese Take Away

What university experience will you always remember?
Everything including the field trips: Arran and Glasgow, EU field trip, Draguignan.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
And more!

What are your interests/hobbies?
Geography, rugby, photography and travelling the world whenever possible.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes often

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what were your views of these?
Unfortunately no, it is not easy to get to London from West Cornwall!

 

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Mr Pete Ehmann
2004, Geography

Employment details
Environment Officer
Environment Agency

What do you do and what are your responsibilities?
Regulating waste and water industries and responding to pollution incidents.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Some of the courses I took directly relate to my job so my course did influence my current job.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Start applying for jobs before you finish your degree.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Blackford

What song reminds you of your university days?
Reach for the stars  by S club 7.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Meat and chips from City Kebab.

What university experience will you always remember?
E1

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
Rugby, skiing and traveling.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Most of rugby, hockey and netball club members and a few people form my course.

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Miss Jo Elliott
1999, Geography

Employment details
PR & Marketing Manager
Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust

What are your responsibilities?
I am responsible for internal and external communication. This requires promoting the Trust through our regular newsletters, annual reports, website and promotional items.
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is an independent registered charity for Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Be prepared to start from scratch. Even with a first class degree, my lack of real work experience brought me back down to earth! So, do holiday jobs if possible.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
My writing, communication and decision-making skills that I gained at university are still very relevant in my career today. When leaving University I applied to Cranfield to do a Masters in Disaster Management, however I eventually turned down the place as I felt that my career opportunities would be limited. I took my first job as a Marketing Assistant to try a more creative path and things have only improved from there!

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Father & Head of Sixth Form (previous Queen Mary student)

Who at university most influenced you?
My tutor, Miles Ogborn. He was very encouraging.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Disco 2000 by Pulp - we used to go to The Fountain pub across the road from Queen Mary. The Fountain is mentioned in the song!

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Kedgeree

What university experience will you always remember?
Saturday nights at the Student Union

Was university everything you expected it to be?
No - I should have stayed in Queen Mary’s halls, not intercollegiate halls!

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Leaning a bit more to the right than before since policies have become more relevant to my life!

What are your interests/hobbies?
I do photography - was a photographer for the Student Union newspaper, Cub.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, we still meet up for drinks/dinner after work and at weddings!

 

Mr David George
1981, Geography

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
Immigration Officer

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
Immigration Officer - I operate a firm but fair control and keep the country secure.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
Very useful, made me aware of different countries and customs. I have stuck with the same career.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue similar career path?
Work hard

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Nobody

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Rawstron

What song reminds you of your university days?
Into the Valley by The Skids

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Burger and chips

What university experience will you always remember ?
Graduation day

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
No

What are your interests/hobbies?
Cycling and walking on Dartmoor.

Do you meet regularly with friends, from university days? Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what was your views of these?
Meet with friends four to five times a year.

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Ms Nonie Gough
1976, Geology

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
European customer service support for a large company responsible for consistency in service - challenged by some of the Europeans!

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
Main skills used are interpersonal which were developed at College. I left geology many years ago. I really enjoy customer service.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue similar career path?
Study hard - it is worth it but try to balance an academic and personal life

Who influenced you to study at this College?
No one - it was the best course available

Who at university most influenced you?
Most of the academic staff

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
I was introduced to Chinese food

What university experience will you always remember ?
My first days as a fresher

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
I like to be outdoors walking, some beaches and foreign travel

Do you meet regularly with friends, from university days?
Not often enough!

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Mr Hrant Eddy Hamayan
2005, Globalisation and Development

Employment details
Senior Personal Financial Advisor
Kinecta Federal Credit Union

What are your responsibilities?
I work with the High Value customers of the Credit Union: advising them on how to maximise return on their liquid and asset (property) investments.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Always keep ahead by keeping an eye on market trends which will help you make business and personal life desicions.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Studying Globalisation and Development gave me a certain maturity and understanding of how global markets operate. I use this knowledge to advise customer on how the world economy effects them directly. This course has given me access to many job opportunities inclduing the one I am doing now. I intend to pursue a career with the UN or  EBRD.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
League tables, and research.

What song reminds you of your university days?
American Idiot, Lonely Road (Green Day), The Killers, Franz Ferdinand

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Nandos!!!!

What university experience will you always remember?
Living at Stocks Court, and writing my dissertation

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Much more than I expected.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
No, still the same.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Travelling, history, politics and classic cars

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Mrs Shelagh Hodder
1971, Geography

Employment details
Home School Tutor
WES

What do you do?
I tutor and support parents educating their own children at home.

Has your career path changed since you started work?
I didn't have a career path. I took opportunities that I felt would benefit me and learn from regardless of their qualification requirements or pay offering.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I have taught Geography in the past. The skills of assimilating all kinds of information from different sources, learned in Geography, have always served me well.

What influenced you to study at this College?
Course outline

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Sheppard

What university experience will you always remember?
Field trips

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, music, Brownies, countryside and travel.

Have you attended any formal alumni events?
Yes, but not as many as I would have liked.

 

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Mr Rolf Hunt
1983, Geography

Employment details
National Sales Manager
Premier Decorations Limited

What do you do and what are your responsibilities?
I manage a 14-strong national sales team responsible for all company sales.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Can't say university helped in my current role! Geography has no bearing on a career in selling.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My brother.

Who at university most influenced you?
Gary Moys!

What song reminds you of your university days?
Blue is the colour.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Bread and water.

What university experience will you always remember?
Maurice & Isle of Dogs.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Probably not.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Sport, theatre, cruising, walking the dog and sometimes taking the wife out!

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Mr Adrian Leece
1983, Geography

Employment details
High School Headmaster
John F Kennedy, The American School

What are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am the headmaster of an American School in Mexico. The challenges and responsibilites are to maintain high standards in a safe and respectful environment for a multicultural faculty and student body.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
If you can handle a huge diversity of long-term and short-term planning and crisis, encourage people, enthuse youth, don’t mind being criticised for things you apparently should have known about and can handle abusive parents and don’t mind being unpopular with lots of people....go for it!!

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Studying geography gave me the initial opening as a geography teacher. University taught me to think, not just to recall. This is the basic principal of all educational practise today.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Literature and college details

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Atkinson and Dr Murray Gray

What song reminds you of your university days?
Any by Nine below Zero

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Kebabs and curries

What university experience will you always remember?
Some of the meteorology classes

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes and more

What are your interests/hobbies?
Cooking, reading, listening to blues, my family and I still study whenever possible.

Your news
Having completed my Masters degree in Educational Leadership three years ago, I was offered the job of Headmaster in the American School of Queretaro, Mexico. I am now studying for a Masters in International Education. I live happily with my partner and three children. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me.

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Lt Cdr Andrew Moys
1987, Physical Geography

Employment details
Officer-in-Charge METOC Training
Royal Navy

What are your responsibilities?
I am OIC of the Royal Navy's Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) School. I manage and lead a team of twelve instructors to train the Navy's METOC forecasters and observers to International WMO 258 standards.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Work hard and enjoy what you do.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
My degree in Physical Geography was a natural lead-in to training as a Royal Navy METOC, a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile career that has taken me around the world in various warships and sent me to the US to complete an MSc in Meteorology.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
David Davies and my brother Gary Moys.

Who at university most influenced you?
Mr Graeme Butterfield and Professor Bruce Atkinson

What song reminds you of your university days?
Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Kebabs from the van just outside Halls

What university experience will you always remember?
Getting kicked in the face during a rugby match with UCL (always a grudge match) - still have the scar - not sure if we won, but we beat them in the bar games.

Are you related to other Queen Mary people?
My brother Gary - Geography 1983

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes - Geography Department was excellent - the Union was always hot and sweaty and smelt of stale beer.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Yes - they have gradually veered to the right as I have aged.

What are your interests/hobbies?
British sports cars, most sports, travel, eating and drinking well.

What do you do when you meet with friends from university days?
Go for a beer.

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what were your views of these?
I attended one in 1997 - it was fun.

 

Mr James Nicholas
1990, Geography

Employment details
Principal Scientist
URS

What are your responsibilities?
Principal in charge of a group that sites and permits major electric and gas power plants in the Eastern USA.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Prospective employers do not owe you anything, don't approach the process as if you are interviewing them.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I use the skills every day, multi tasking and background geographic skills are critical.  Social skills learnt at university are equally important.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Queen Mary - you let me in.

Who at university most influenced you?
Graeme Butterfield

What song reminds you of your university days?
Anything by the Wonder Stuff

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Bacon

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes and more

What are your interests/hobbies?
Flying and playing golf.

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Mrs Frauke Sinclair (Ruppel)
1991, Human Geography

Employment details
Knowledge Exchange Theme Leader at the Scottish Council Foundation, Scotland's leading think tank

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
Head of Identity and Privacy Policy team within Public Service Reform directorate of the Scottish Government.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Social scientist - have stayed in the same career path since Masters degree in Social Policy Administration & Planning.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
As a social scientist you will need both qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as sound theoretical foundation.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Prospectus and availability of sunject (Human Geography).

Who at university most influenced you?
Gillian Rose, Michael Keith, Steve Pile, Philip Ogden and Roger Lee.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Step On (Happy Mondays).

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
I cannot imagine anyone is interested in this information...

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

Have your political opinions changed, since you left university?
A little.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Politics, music, literature, arts and travel.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, a few.

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Mrs Gill Thompson
1981, Geography

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
Chartered Quantity Surveyor

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
Chartered quantity surveyor

Who influenced you to study at this College?
A Level Geography teacher in Wrexham

Did you meet your partner at university? What is their name?
Yes, Neil Thompson

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Nicholas John Thody
1982, Geography

Employment details
Headteacher
St Nicholas School

What are your responsibilities?
I am a headteacher of an international School in Brazil. The challenges are all those you would expect as a headteacher, with the added bonus of working with students from around the world.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Work hard and believe in yourself.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Queen Mary taught me how to live in a multicultural environment. I enjoyed the time I spent teaching Geography at a local school in Tower Hamlets. When the opportunities to work and travel abroad presented themselves, I was ready for the challenges and have not looked back.

Who at university most influenced you?
John Hall

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Brick Lane curry

What university experience will you always remember?
Rowing for the college - early morning on the Thames.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Rowing, football, film and books.

What do you do when you meet up with friends from university?
Generally have fun. Walking in the Dales, days out in London

Your news
Brazil, Chair of the Latin American Heads Conference. 

Mr Andrew Threadgold
1985, Geography

Employment details
HSBC Insurance Brokers
Divisional Director

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
My role involves marketing, placing and servicing insurance programmes for oil & gas companies worldwide, including construction projects. My challenges include leading a team based in different global locations and cultural differences of international clients.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
University taught me to consider all variables and assess relative values. My subject did not influence my career choice.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
A good insurance broker is not one who knows insurance well, but one who knows the subject matter well, e.g, marine, oil, gas, aviation - use technological awareness.

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Smith

What song reminds you of your university days?
About Vietnam by 19

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Pork pies

What university experience will you always remember?
The party after winning the University Cup

Was university everything you expected it to be?
 I think so.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
One or two of us catch up from time to time.

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Mr Duncan West
1990, Physical Geography

Employment details
Self Employed
Sailing Coach

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
Training new instructors and racing coaches. SW junior coach for toppers.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Enjoy it. You are not in it for the money.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Course content.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Gray

What song reminds you of your university days?
Spirit of 76

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Curry

What university experience will you always remember?
Rugby Club

What are your interests/hobbies?
Learning new things and going out with friends.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Once every 2nd year

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Mr Samir Yousuf
1998, Environmental Science

Employment details
Roydvale Primary School

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I have been a Primary School Teacher for 8 years. Everyday is a fantastic challenge with thirty children!

Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work? My career path has been the same since I graduated. To love what I do! University helped a great deal in that respect as I was encouraged to study what I loved.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Don’t go into teaching unless you like children. It isn't about money - you must be passionate.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Dr Rita Gardner

Who at university most influenced you?
John Allen

What song reminds you of your university days?
Disco 2000 by Pulp

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Anything lavish

What university experience will you always remember?
Depth of friendships

Was university everything you expected it to be?
 Yes

Have your political opinions changed, since you left university?
Still ultra conservative.

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