Diverse Voices: First- Generation Alumni Panel

Join us to hear the story and experiences of three Edge Hill, first-generation alumni. The panellists will share their stories and experiences of job hunting, recruitment and employment, reflecting on navigating personal challenges and sharing their achievements.

A first-generation student is a student who the first member of their family to go to university. First-generation students can have diverse experiences and may face challenges navigating university life without having knowledge or experience to draw upon from their immediate family. Despite this, many first-generation students thrive at university and go on to achieve career success.

Meet our Panellists

Emma Alderhayes-Rowe (she/her)

Emma graduated from Edge Hill University in 2018 with a degree in Primary Modern Languages Education with QTS. Emma now works as a Recruitment and Retention Coordinator at The Brilliant Club. Emma has used her transferrable skills gained through both her studies and career to get to where she is today and works to inspire the next generation of university students.

Jess Eccles-Padwick (she/her)

After studying a BA (Hons) Psychology, a PGCE in Further Education Teaching and an MRes in Psychology and Neuroscience all at Edge Hill University, Jess is now a Graduate Teaching Assistant within the University’s Faculty of Education. Jess teaches Secondary English with QTS and is in the second year of PhD study with her research focussed on investigating dyslexic students’ experiences of the Higher Education academic library. Jess is also currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Higher Education at EHU and attending classes to learn British Sign Language.

Mel Mitchell (she/her)

Mel graduated from the BA (Hons) PE and School Sport undergraduate degree course in 2018 and went on to complete an MRes in Sport, graduating in 2019. Mel is now a Mental Health Practitioner at Alder Hey Hospital in Aintree, providing support for young people with mental health needs.

The panel will be Chaired by Christopher Leech. Christopher is a PhD Researcher in Psychology, Video Games and Mental Health at Edge Hill University. In his spare time, Christopher hosts a podcast and streams on Twitch. After the success of our first Diverse Voices panel event and we are delighted to have him back to facilitate another enlightening panel.

Programme:

Tuesday 13 December

16:00 – Welcome and introductions- Event starts

17:00 – Question for the panellists

17:20 – Closing remarks

The panellists will join the event online via Microsoft Teams. You can join via Teams too or join us on campus for a live stream. Please indicate via the online booking form how you would like to attend.