Emily spent two years in Birmingham and then spent a year abroad in Copenhagen continuing her studies. She is now thinking of doing an MSc in Climate Policy as this is her passion. 

Emily was invited by our Student Leadership Team to return to the College to speak to pupils about this year’s student leadership project “Sustainability”, and to provoke thought about climate responsibility.   

The student leadership project was Emily’s brainchild, which she started when she was Head Girl. She felt immensely proud to return and see her legacy in action as the student leadership team for this year kicked off their project.  

While in her role as Head Girl, Emily wanted to make the student leadership role more proactive, and she found that her own personal experiences inspired her to push for a focus on mental health for young people; out of this was born the first student leadership project. Emily felt strongly that it was important for others to know that it was OK to struggle sometimes, and that help was available. 

Reflecting on her time at St Joseph’s, Emily said she thought the College was a tight knit community thanks to its Catholic ethos. Whilst at the College, Emily took part in lots of activities outside the classroom. She came to value the school choir, thanks to Mrs Kesel’s obligatory membership in Year 7, which resulted in Emily becoming a committed member and she took part in various memorable choir tours and events.  

Emily loved performing in lots of guises and took part in school plays. She was also a long-term member of the orchestra. Emily vividly recalled choreographing two different dance routines whilst in Year 10, one for the school production of “Oliver” and also for the production of “Little Shop of Horrors 2”. She also recalled how she always wanted to be on a school sports team and although she never quite made it, she never gave up trying. 

Emily felt she really flourished and grew in the Sixth Form, and she feels this has a lot to do with all the opportunities offered to her in those two years. 

Her advice to pupils was to be open to opportunities, as you never know where they might lead. She started out taking part in the CAFOD young leaders programme and this gave her the serendipitous chance to attend a parliamentary reception with MPs and refugees. It was an experience she will never forget as it made her realise she was able to speak to others with confidence. It also made her realise that she wanted to study Geography and she found her passion for the issues of migration and climate change. This is one of the milestones that has set her on her path today. Her CAFOD role has also given her the opportunity to attend COP21 as she attended as part of the campaign team as a correspondent.  

It is always so lovely to see a former student return to the College and we wish Emily all the best in her future studies.