October Alumni Newsletter 2021
Welcome to October’s alumni newsletter! There’s a lot happening this October, including Black History Month, World Mental Health Day and Halloween. We can also look forward to blustery and wet weather as autumn turns York red and orange.
In York we opened applications for our alumni scholarships which we discussed across our social media last month, as well as in last month’s newsletter. We also welcomed alumna Scarlett Moffat and Dr Alex George to campus to discuss mental health and welcomed a number of alumni groups back to campus for a chat and a mini-tour. This month we’re looking forward to seeing students on campus, hosting our first webinar and telling you about the fantastic alumni businesses in our Alumni Business Directory.
Alumni Business Directory
We’re proud to announce that our business directory is now live with the first 17 businesses included. Ranging from jewellery and custom artwork to yoga and business development, our directory already has a wide range of businesses to support. Is it too early to mention Christmas shopping?
To access the directory, simply visit our website and browse our businesses before using your alumni benefit or discount at checkout.
If you’d like to add your business to the directory, you can fill out this form.
Alumni Journeys: Creativity, Careers and Community
This month, we’re hosting the first webinar in our new alumni webinar series, Alumni Journeys: Creativity, Careers and Community. Our webinar series will be celebrating some of our alumni community’s amazing achievements, as well as giving fantastic industry insights. Our speakers will also answer a range of pre-submitted questions and provide advice for those looking to get into the industry.
Monday 19 October: Soloman Honey
Soloman Honey graduated in 2012 and now works an Art Director in the British Film and TV industry. Taking set design from concept right through to the first day of filming, Solomon’s recent projects include Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Jingle Jangle : A Christmas Journey and Sanditon. Next year, we’ll be able to see his work in an upcoming Star Wars TV series!
Find out more and book your ticket on Eventbrite.
Tuesday 9 November: Dr Tracy Rea
Dr Tracy Rea graduated in 2001 and became the President of the Student’s Union in 2002 before moving to work across a range of industries. Having competed internationally herself, Tracy was the Performance Director of Scottish Gymnastics in the lead up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 before securing a role with Lloyds Banking Group. Having tackled banking, Tracy then moved into construction, proving her PhD hypothesis about the validity of talent transfer from sport to different industries.
Find out more and book your ticket on Eventbrite.
Have a question for one of our speakers? You can submit it here.
Black History Month
This October, celebrate Black History Month by attending one of these fantastic events:
In Conversation with Sophie Williams on 21 October 2021
Join us for a fascinating discussion on feminism, systemic racism, and identity with Sophie Williams, acclaimed author of Anti Racist Ally and Millennial Black. In conversation with Dr Janine Bradbury (York St John University), Sophie will explore how we can make space for racially marginalised people and how small conversations can spark big change.
Moving Up, Moving Out : The Rise of the Black Middle Class in Chicago on 26 October 2021
Join Dr Will Cooley (Metropolitan State University) for a fascinating dissection of the damage that racism and discrimination exacted on black people living in Chicago in the twentieth century. Drawing on his book Moving Up, Moving Out, Dr Cooley will also explore how class differences created divisions within the black community and produced dilemmas for black Chicagoans interested in racial welfare.
Let’s Talk About Race in the TV Industry on 27 October 2021
Reeta Chakrabarti, Richard Francis and Diana Francis come together with York St John Lecturer, Dr Everett Ndlovu, to discuss their experiences of navigating and working within the UK TV industry.
You can find out more about our on campus events on this webpage.
Return of the Students
The new academic year has just begun, and our campuses are now buzzing with students again! From the more traditional welcome week activities to plant sales and cinema nights, our new students were welcomed to our York campus with a smile!
For the first time in a while, our Students’ Union is now offering its own in-house catering. We can’t wait to do an Alumni Team visit to try out their new food and drink options, alongside their old favourites, like Starbucks.
Mental Health Matters
Last month we welcomed alumna Scarlett Moffat and Dr Alex George to campus to talk about the importance of mental health with our Students’ Union presidents as part of Dr Alex’s HEADucation campaign.
This month we will also be marking World Mental Health Day. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, but it can often be harder to access support. If you break your arm, you know to head to A&E. But when your mental health deteriorates, it’s harder to know what to do.
Our Counselling and Mental Health Centre has a range of resources listed on their website, including information on emergency support services and self-help resources. Their recent blog post about accessing support as part of the LGBTQ+ community is also a useful resource for finding York-based and national services.
Mind, the NHS website and Menfulness are also helpful websites to find out more about mental health, treatments and how to access support. This article on Healthline also provides mindfulness tips for busy people, an easy way to boost your day-to-day mental health.
Halloween
At the end of the month, we know many of our alumni will celebrate Halloween. Whether you take children trick-or-treating, watch a scary film with a friend or take part in some dressing up for a party, we hope you enjoy it!
Do you think you’ll carve a pumpkin this year?
- For pumpkin carving tips, click here
- If you’d rather cook your pumpkin than carve it, find some tasty recipes here.
- If you’d like to find out about how turnips used to be carved instead of pumpkins, find out more here.
Graduate Outcomes Survey
Class of 2020, early last month you should have received an email from Graduate Outcomes. Graduate Outcomes is a quick survey which gathers information about recent graduates. When you joined YSJ, you probably saw some statistics about graduate employment – this is the survey that gathers that data!
Check your emails to complete the online survey before they start calling you to complete it over the phone instead!
Class of 2021, don’t worry, you’ll be getting your emails this time next year to complete your own surveys.
Graduation
Class of 2020, your graduation is getting closer, so it might be time to start planning your outfit if you haven’t already! We love to see everyone at graduation, but remember it’s late November so expect it to be a little chilly.. Keep an eye on your emails this month in case there are any spare guest tickets for your ceremony – they’re allocated on a first come, first served basis so don’t miss your chance to invite more of your family!
Class of 2021, our graduation team is still working hard to work out the details of your ceremonies. Once everything has been confirmed, they can’t wait to share the news with you!
Magazine
This month, keep an eye out for this year’s alumni magazine! Including information about our fantastic new creative centre, how York St John adapted throughout the pandemic and information on your alumni benefits, there’s plenty to read about! We’ve also included articles about some of the latest research conducted by our academics, how to access your careers support and information about the scholarships we fund.
This month, keep an eye out for this year’s alumni magazine! Including information about your alumni benefits, how to access career support and an inspiring article about alumna Sinead’s career outside her degree subject, there’s plenty to read about!
Lots to blog about
This month we’ll be rounding-off our fantastic York Literary Review series with a final blog from alum Tash, and one from our very own Alumni Team. In the meantime, catch-up with the whole blog series now. Including details of how the Publishing MA changed Amy’s career plans, Neil’s varied writing projects and of course, a whole host of book recommendations!
Keep an eye on our blog and on our social media channels to read our latest blog posts.
Careers
Are you thinking about how to upskill your CV? There are a lot of ways to learn new skills, for example through taught short courses, postgraduate study or free online courses.
Did you know that York St John offers a range of professional and short courses? From online learning to flexible teaching on campus, find out more on our website.
As an alum of York St John, you’re eligible for a 10% fee reduction on most postgraduate courses. Whether you’d like to return to education or learn something new, you can browse our postgraduate courses on our website to find out what’s on offer.
FutureLearn is a great way to learn something new, whether to boost your CV, or just for yourself. Boasting a range of free, and paid, online courses delivered by world class universities and organisations, you can learn about a range of subjects. From an Introduction to Digital Marketing to A History of Royal Fashion, FutureLearn is a great platform to learn something new.
Recent graduates
Class of 2021, are you looking for work? Our careers team are currently advertising a range of short internships with local businesses. From marketing to business development, you can view them on LaunchPad Online.
LaunchPad Online is also a great place to look for a range of graduate roles, both locally, nationally and internationally. Including graduate schemes from big name companies and stand alone entry roles, start your job search on LaunchPad Online to find your next role.
Remember LinkedIn is also a great place to search for jobs, as well as building your professional network. Creating a profile is free and easy to do – just fill in your details, upload a good picture and begin connecting! You can also join our alumni group on LinkedIn to connect with other alumni, see weekly job postings and alumni advice.
Events – it’s Nero too late
This summer, our history department hosted a series of fantastic lectures about Imperial Power in the Roman World, inspired by the new Nero exhibit at the British Museum. Watched in over 30 countries around the world, and covering a diverse range of subjects, you can watch them all now on YouTube. You can also find out more about the success of the series in this article.
