“I never thought public speaking with confidence like this would have been one of the course outcomes”

Mel Parks, who graduated in 2018, tells us about the confidence the MA has given her in her own work and as a means to inspire others. 

“I recently gave a talk on blogging at a local business networking group for women. I talked for 25 mins on the writing process, giving them tips on how to generate ideas as well as structure a blog post. It was so good to be able to articulate my thoughts and ideas on the power of writing for change, sharing stories. Nine people have left comments on the Facebook group to say how useful it was and how much they enjoyed it and I’ve been booked to do the same talk to a group in a different area.

“I couldn’t have done any of this before I started the MA. I had never given a presentation in my life! I realise it’s my journey and the work I’ve put in, but I never thought that public speaking with confidence like this would have been one of the outcomes and that is because Jess made it part of the course. She also validated my interest in the power of the writing process for myself and other people. I love being able to articulate my ideas properly and inspire others.”

Melanie Parks, 2018 graduate