Futures Fireside Chats

Last year, Head of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Employability, Dr Sheela Sharma, launched Futures Fireside Chats and they have proved extremely popular and successful ever since. They are exclusive events consisting of a small group of students and an industry expert which take place at school during lunchtime, allowing students to ask burning career questions in-person and gain a real insight into what pursuing a career in that field really entails. They also often result in further opportunities such as work experience or mentoring. The careers covered are wide-ranging and just this past half term alone have included:

Civil Service, Politics, Policy  
Conall Preston, Research Assistant in the House of Lords for Baroness Ilora Finlay (a WHS alumna) talked to students about his work on issues related to assisted dying and euthanasia legislation in the UK and further afield. He previously worked in New York at the United Nations for a peace and security team involved in the UN’s handling of global conflicts, at the very moment that war broke out in Ukraine.

WHS alumna Maddy Planche (Class of 2019) already displayed a passion for politics at school. Studying Politics at the University of Edinburgh, she started canvassing for the Liberal Democrats and became a national Field Organiser during the 2019 UK General Election. She talked about her internship for Edinburgh MP Christine Jardine, and subsequent role as a Parliamentary and Communications Officer to MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton. Having graduated this year, Maddy is now Researcher to MP Munira Wilson (education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats).

Journalism
Sana Noor Haq is a digital producer at the global news channel CNN. Having graduated from the University of London with a Masters in Magazine Journalism in 2020, an internship led her into the fast-paced world of breaking news. She talked to students about reporting on beats such as race, gender, sports and global events including Russia’s war on Ukraine, the conflict in Sudan and the rise of the far right in Europe and her passion for telling the stories of marginalised communities through her reporting.

Sports Science, Physiology, Space, Astronaut Training
Ever thought about studying sports science, working for a space agency, becoming an astronaut, or training those who want to become astronauts or athletes? We welcomed Dr Tess Morris-Paterson who has worked in elite and professional sport as a scientist, including with world number one players and gold medal winning athletes, premier league football clubs and formula one race teams. She transitioned her expertise from athletes to astronauts in 2022, having started her business Astro Perform, which selects and prepares astronauts for spaceflight for global space agencies.

Veterinary Medicine
If you thought becoming a clinical vet in a high street surgery was your only option after studying to become a vet, you couldn’t be more wrong. Dr Ebony Escalona is a vet and the Founder of Vets: Stay Go Diversify, a career coaching and recruitment company. She discussed the wide variety of options open to those interested in veterinary medicine.

Watch out for more opportunities for Fireside Chats in coming weeks and months – with thanks to Dr Sharma for organising such a wide range of experts to visit and thanks to those who have taken the time to share their expertise with us.