5 Minute Q & A with Elspeth Fury & Mr Hicks

When did you leave Archbishop Beck Catholic College?

I left Archbishop Beck in 2017 after attending both school and sixth form.

What have you been doing since that time?

After leaving Archbishop Beck in 2017 I went straight to the University of Liverpool to study Geography. I was lucky enough to be a part of the Liverpool Scholars Programme throughout university which was supported by Archbishop Beck, and this programme was invaluable when shaping my university experience. Throughout university I found it really useful to gain work experience outside of my usual part-time retail job, which led to me completing internships at Entrust, an environmental and planning consultancy, and PepsiCo, which involved me moving down to London for the summer to embark on a sales and marketing internship which was completely out of my comfort zone at the time, but so valuable!

After graduating in 2020 (mid-pandemic!) I secured a role on the Future Leader Graduate Scheme at United Utilities, which I am in the final stages of completing, and absolutely loving.

What are your memories of your time at the College?

The college memories that stand out to me the most always involve the music department and playing the trumpet. I was introduced to the music department at Archbishop Beck from Year 4 at Holy Name Primary School, and never really looked back! I always loved the buzz which came from playing in front of audiences, and being with friends at music festivals, concerts and competitions. As someone who was once quite quiet in school, being pushed out of my comfort zone to play solos definitely brought me a lot of confidence which I still carry with me today.

I also look back really fondly of my time in Sixth Form. The sixth form community was always so supportive, and it was such an exciting time when beginning to narrow your focus onto the things which you enjoyed the most.

When you were younger what did you want to be?

I never really had a set idea of what I wanted to be, but I would say from Year 9 onwards I always knew it had to be something Geography related as this was always my favourite subject, and something which I was so passionate about. I am so lucky that my current job is exactly that – I think it just shows the importance of always going after what you enjoy.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

It sounds cheesy, but I would just say go after what you enjoy, even if it’s not clear exactly where that is going to take you! And don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, as it’s often when the most exciting and memorable opportunities come your way.