Class of 1998
BA (Hons) French and History
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY?
Yes, somewhere else.
JOB:
Musical Director and CEO – John Lewis Partnership, The Voices Foundation
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
No reason, just a decent image.
WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY?
Freedom, friendliness, They were the happiest years of my life. I learned so much about myself .
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
When I went for my interview to Ripon, I for the place and the people. I had several offers for the universities, but this is the one that felt right.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
I joined John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee, became its musical director, and my career as a freelance conductor and trainer of conductors as well as being a CEO of two charities flourished.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIFIC COURSE?
I really enjoyed French and history. Oddly, my professional ended up being music!
WHAT WERE THE BEST FEATURES OF YOUR COURSE?
Good teaching, in the main. Some interesting modules, I really enjoyed the history and architecture of mediaeval cathedrals abbeys churches, and castles.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
Take the opportunities that presented to you. Being a retiring wallflower will get you pretty well nowhere.