After graduating in 2018, Adele’s first job fulfilled her aim to teach children with disabilities. She soon realised her BSc Education enabled her to expand her career to work in different sectors.
Gaining experience in different contexts
My first job was as a higher level teaching assistant at a school for children with special needs. This was incredibly rewarding but also very challenging. However, in the end, I decided teaching wasn’t for me.
Looking at education concepts in such a broad way at Southampton opened my eyes to the different things that you could do within education, and that it’s not just about teaching. I decided to apply my skills as a therapy assistant supporting therapists at an NHS disabled children’s service.
My next job was at a nationwide education group coordinating personal development coaches for young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training).
Supporting the community with Premier League clubs
As a football fan I’d wanted to work with a football club for some time. My next role was working at Arsenal Football Club, and it was an amazing experience. As a community project manager I managed a high-profile anti-knife crime project, in partnership with Addidas, the Club’s shirt sponsors.
It’s a privilege to work with young people through a football club. Sport is such a powerful vehicle to empower people – when you’re wearing the badge of a football club, they really want to get involved.
I then moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, first as project coordinator for an initiative that provides career mentoring for young people in the local community, then to my current role as partnership officer.
This involves working with the Club’s corporate partners to fund projects under the Foundation’s 4 themes:
- employment and skills
- youth and community
- health and wellbeing
- education
I love it because I can do something I’ve always been passionate about, supporting young people who are disadvantaged – whether that’s because of economic deprivation, their ethnicity, or because they have a disability – in an industry that’s exciting and fast-paced.
Adele Scott, Partnership officer, Tottenham Hotspur foundation
The Club has amazing partnerships with the NFL (the US National Football League), Formula 1 and Nike, so there are lots of avenues to explore.
Southampton helped me build useful skills
I’m grateful for the opportunities at Southampton to help me build useful skills. The academic work developed my writing skills and the ability to formulate arguments and proposals – essential in my current role.
The student experience helped me develop relationship-building and networking skills. I also learnt about fundraising and social enterprises work through societies such as Raise and Give and Enactus.
I’ve proved that if you have the professionalism, the tenacity and the interest in applying what you learn to other industries, there’s lots you can do with an education degree.
Southampton was a lot of fun. It’s a great student city, and the campus is nice with everything in walking distance. There’s a real sense of community and I would definitely recommend it.
