After a whirlwind study abroad year at
McGill University, followed by my incredible three month Rolls-Royce internship in
Derby and Beijing, September 2013 finally rolled around, ushering me into my
fourth and final year of undergraduate study at Leeds University. It was the
most academically intense year of my life, and I developed a genuine passion
for the dissertation I was writing. It focussed on representations of
non-conventional masculinity in twentieth-century war literature, a somewhat
niche but (genuinely!) fascinating area of study.
The academic year flew by; in
October, I was surprised but very pleased to be awarded an Athena Swan ‘Woman
of Achievement’ commendation
from Leeds uni, which entailed a lovely ceremony and photo-shoot, so that was
very exciting! Then at Christmas, I continued with my yearly family tradition
of helping to run a Christmas homeless shelter as a key volunteer for Crisis, a
charity that is still really close to my heart.
With the new year came new
challenges at university, and so my next few months were mostly spent in a blur
of visits to the library. After immersing myself in the challenging world of
contemporary and millennial fiction for my Finals, I decided that I’d
like to make the most of my last university summer by jumping onto a plane to
Malaysia to visit my brother. I then spent six weeks backpacking through
Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a similar outlook to the one I’d
had in Beijing: one that meant doing, trying and eating everything, even if it
was out of my comfort zone. Thanks to some local guides, I got to experience
local cultures and livelihoods in a really privileged, intimate way, although
of course my trip also featured the obligatory backpacker hostels and parties!
On the final day of my travels, I
received the news that I would, as hoped, be graduating from Leeds with First
Class Honours after attaining a strong First for my dissertation, and an even
stronger First for another extended essay. It was really rewarding to know that
my hard work was paying off, awarding me among the strongest marks of my entire
university career. Graduation was a surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable day;
the ceremony itself was lovely, and it felt like such an achievement to have
made my family so proud. It was not until I was saying goodbye to friends and
getting ready to head back to London, however, that it really hit me that my
time as an undergraduate, with all the amazing experiences it has given me, has
really finished.
As for the future, I’m
very glad I have the Customer Management graduate programme at Rolls-Royce to
look forward to. My first placement, starting this September, will be in the
Defence sector in Bristol, and my current house-hunting gives me something to
keep me occupied! After how well my internship went, I think that I have quite
a lot to live up to as I return to Rolls, but I couldn’t be more excited
for the challenges to come, and for the opportunities to improve as a
(business) person. Wish me luck!
Ella Jakubowska, English Language and Literature, University of Leeds
2013 Winner of the Female Undergraduate of the Year Award 2013 sponsored by Rolls-Royce
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