I was totally taken aback to be named Student Journalist of the Year and to win the Arts and Entertainment category in the Scottish Student Journalism Awards.
I couldn’t have written articles like those I entered for the competition at the start of the course. After my degree in History and French, I worked as a teaching assistant in the Caribbean and, as I was speaking French all the time and learning Creole, I became increasingly fascinated by language. When I got back to Scotland it got me thinking about language and Scottish identity and I realised I really wanted to write about that and how it ties into my interest in culture, travel and food and what they tell you about the human experience.
So, I looked into journalism programmes and the MA Multimedia Journalism at GCU seemed ideal as it is very forward thinking – encompassing radio, TV and online journalism as well as print. It’s also well respected and has a great employment record because it teaches skills that can be applied in the real world and offers great work experience that opens doors. The MA really covers all bases, working on the basics so you can survive in whatever work place you find yourself in, as well as strengthening your fortes.
It was quite surreal to win and a great honour. The judging panel is made up of the editors of national newspapers, so to have them say they love my writing means a lot.
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