Inspiring our GCSE English Students
It was an absolute pleasure to welcome alumna Maisie Peppitt (Squires, 2016) back into Ashford School on Friday of last week (via Microsoft Teams) to talk with those Year 11 students interested in studying English at A Level, and share with them just one example of where an English Degree can lead.
Head of English Mrs Smith and Teacher of English Mrs Ndongong said of Maisie’s Q&A:
“The students loved it, and were really excited and enthused when they came back into class. She gave some great ideas and advice and we loved her delivery. A big thank you to Maisie for sharing her time with us, and inspiring our students.”
Maisie studied English Literature, Biology, Drama and French at A Level, before going on to study English Literature at Oxford Brookes University. Whilst at University, Maisie participated in a number of internships, including Editorial Intern at DK, Marketing & Public Relations Intern at DK, and Digital Content Intern at The Chelsea Magazine Company. On leaving University, Maisie went back to work at DK as an Editorial Assistant.
She has recently moved to an exciting start-up company called Yoto, who are partnered with Penguin, working for them as a Content Assistant. In this role she works collaboratively with the Content Team to ensure that engaging and accessible audio content is distributed to children with Yoto Players around the world.
Maisie also hosts, edits, and promotes an interview-based podcast with small businesses called ‘Pep Talk with Peppitt’. It features episodic interviews with young entrepreneurs drawing on their own personal experiences with A-Levels, choosing a university, starting a company and securing a job, as well as sharing advice and tips on how to do it right. It aims to inspire and motivate young idealists and creators. Past episodes have also included other Ashford School alumni, including Jesse O’Shaughnessy (Franklins, 2015), Anna Peppitt (Squires, 2012), Jess Newall (Knights, 2016), and Sophie Peppitt (Squires, 2010).
It was fascinating to hear about Maisie’s experience of studying English Literature at University and her passion for it as a subject, as well as the opportunities studying it has opened up.
Thank you so much to Maisie for sharing her time with us, and inspiring our students.
If you would like to watch a recording of the Q&A session, please email the Alumni Office (alumni@ashfordschool.co.uk). If you would like to listen to Maisie’s podcast, you can find it here, and you can find Maisie on Instagram & Twitter at @peptalkwithpeppitt.
