Hi everyone, it’s Hayley here – welcome back to our alumni blog! Did you know that this month our blog has turned one year old?! Time sure flies when you’re having fun blogging!
It has officially been a year since we posted our very first blog, and since then, we have had the chance to chat to a number of alumni and find out what they have been up to since graduating. We have been lucky enough to gain an insight into the working lives of our graduates – some who are just beginning their careers, and others who have been established in theirs for years. They have kindly share with us their words of wisdom, which will hopefully help to inspire our new alumni to achieve great things too! Don’t forget to tell us all about these achievements – maybe you could be our next guest blogger?
Over the past year we have also shared wonderful college memories from our alumni over the decades, and we have heard about how the student experience has changed over the years. We have kept you informed about our exciting alumni events and projects too, such as our Annual Reunion and World War One commemorations, including our poppy project. It’s been a very busy year here in the Alumni Office!
Remember, there are a number of other ways you can get involved too, if blogging isn’t your thing. Have you ever considered ushering at our graduation ceremonies? The next graduations dates are set for March, so drop us message if you’d like to help. We would love to hear from you!
In the spirit of celebration, we caught up with a few guest bloggers from this past year to find out what they have been up to since we last spoke with them…
Tori Erskine (2014) wrote a guest blog post for us back in July and has also contributed to our University of Chester in 100 Objects project: “It’s hard to believe that this year it will be seven years since I started at the University of Chester! I am still living in Chester and I am currently working as a Marketing and Sales Assistant. I have really enjoyed the Alumni’ team’s latest project, The University of Chester in 100 Objects. Seeing the various objects and places that are important to different people from the University over the years is great, and I was pleased to be asked to contribute one of my own Chester highlights – singing with the choir at the University Chapel.”
Holly Speed (2017) shared with us her experience of studying abroad back in June: “For me blogging has been a way to record all the memories and experiences I have had during my year abroad, university life and now, graduate life. I still to this day go back and read my Erasmus year blogs that remind me how I felt exactly in that moment, which is something I will always treasure. Now after graduating, I followed my plans to move back to Spain and I am working as a language assistant in a primary school in Malaga. I am continuing to travel and have recently visited my year abroad second home in Galicia for carnival, and have plans to book a trip in the coming months to Seville or even Southern Portugal.”
Alumnae duo, Hayley Riley and Louise Evans, formed the two-woman theatre company, Haylo Theatre. They blogged for us in August, ahead of their Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut: “It’s been an exciting few months for us, we have just finished our Master’s degrees at the University of Chester and are due to graduate in March. We are also thrilled to have received residency at the University’s Kingsway Campus. This year we are delighted to be performing our new show Sisters, Seagulls and Sendoffs, as well as Over the Garden Fence, up and down the country. We have new work in the pipe line and can’t wait to see what 2018 will bring!”
If you’re interested in blogging for us, we would love to hear your ideas! You can get in touch either by emailing us at alumni@chester.ac.uk, or dropping us a message on social media.
