Resident teacher, journalist and skateboarder
While at school, I was told by one of my teachers that without ‘A’ grades at A Level and without a degree, I would “never amount to anything,” and my life would be a “complete failure.” So to prove a point, I didn’t apply to uni and spent the next year working in a skate shop gripping decks and trying to learn kick flips in the stock room. This was enormous fun and I learnt a lot of life skills.
However, with my teacher’s words still resonating in my head, and armed with my B, B, C grades, I eventually applied to study the ever-useful Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three years I spent reading and writing in the library, however, I don’t feel I’m any better off for having this degree nor for being £13, 000 in debt… Since throwing my mortarboard in the air, I’m still trying to figure out what it is I want to do in life and how to get there. It is with these thoughts buzzing in my head that I came across an interview with Tom on TV. I totally agree with the whole ethos of NGTU and was keen to be accepted as part of the team. Not only because writing web content seems like a genuine use of my degree, but because there are so many other options and paths out there that simply aren’t being filtered down to students and I want to be part of the group that promotes them. It’s also a good way of getting one over on my sixth form teacher who told me a degree was the only way…
Having dabbled in charity work, baking and selling cakes and caring for the elderly I recently begun working as a TA at a secondary school, which I love! But I’m still giving the freelance work a good try before training to be a fully fledged teacher and embarking on a life of detentions, marking and planning.
Aside from spending my time being told by school kids who are quite clearly chewing gum, that they definitely are not chewing anything, I find time to play darts and scout for antiques in charity shops. I aspire to be that smug person on Antiques Roadshow who, on discovering the 50p vase they bought two years ago is now worth £10, 000 calmly replies, “gosh, isn’t that nice…”
