I studied Media Practice at Sussex, focusing on Digital Media in my final year, and graduated in 2016.

I am now working as the Brand Officer at YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity for young people’s mental health. My role mainly involves supporting with brand and design across our campaigns and partnerships. This includes developing sub-branding concepts for new campaigns, writing copy, and designing promotional material and merchandise. I also help implement our brand strategy, and I get to work with a creative and collaborative comms team!

Volunteering at Reasons to be Creative is one of my fondest memories of being at Sussex. Going to talks from major creative artists, designers, and coders was really inspirational. I also always enjoyed my Digital Media classes. Duffy [Andrew Duff] and Paul [McConnell] are awesome at what they do, they gave me great inspiration and advice on my projects.

The skills I gained on my course that I use in my current role include design skills and my overall proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, as well as project management and teamwork skills gained from working on team projects throughout the course. I learnt a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving in my third year too - it’s so important to encourage yourself to think outside the box.

The advice I would give to current Sussex students is to not feel guilty if you have a day off, especially with everything that’s going on at the moment. Be kind to yourself and be proud of what you have achieved so far. Remember, you are not alone - many students are going through the same thing, so try to keep connected to friends if you can. If you’re finding it difficult to make new friends, check in with Sussex Students’ Union to see if there are any online events going on. If you need urgent help with your mental health, text YM to 85258 for 24/7 support from YoungMinds.

I wish I had known about YoungMinds when I was at uni. They provide advice and reassurance on managing your mental health, what to do if you are struggling and where to seek help. They’re also working towards making sure young people have trusted adults around them who can really help, by providing tips and advice for parents and carers supporting a young person, and mental health training for teachers and professionals. Most importantly, YoungMinds are building a youth-led movement, amplifying young people’s voices to make the change they want to see in the world we live in.

You can join the movement for young people’s mental health in many ways. My favourite campaign is #HelloYellow in October - our biggest campaign yet. You can take part by wearing yellow to show your support for young people’s mental health on World Mental Health Day and help raise vital funds. You can also get involved by campaigning with us, and if you’re under 25, make sure to look out for when applications open for our Activist Programme.

Visit the YoungMinds website for more information