As the Editor-in-Chief, I managed the newspaper and to ensure that student volunteers were sticking to the timings needed for the tight print deadline we had. Grace has been an absolute lifesaver to work with this past year and I never a worry and was someone who I could absolutely rely on regardless of if I asked or not.

Grace would go above and beyond to make sure that my work was as easy as possible, and I really appreciate her support throughout the whole year. From staying in the office late, to bringing coffee when needed, her presence this year has been fantastic. Not also to say that she co-led the Weekly Bulletin - a new, digital presence for The Courier - with the other Head of Current Affairs. This instalment was a really positive way to increase our interaction with the student body, and I loved watching each and every single week.

Grace would be a delight to hire - her determination and willingness to succeed means that she will always be working on something big. I hope to work alongside her again one day!

I was pleased to mentor Grace when she completed a week’s work experience at The Northern Echo in April 2025. She was enthusiastic, full of energy and was willing to fully engage in the newsroom. Grace has great instinct for a budding journalist and with further training she will be a fantastic asset to any news organisation. I look forward to watching her flourish.

As the student recruitment, marketing and outreach administrator at Newcastle Uni, I managed Grace in her role as student ambassador, content creator, and worked alongside her with the SACS Futures team. Her work ethic is superb as she has attended multiple recruitment events over the past two years, taking on leadership roles during the open days. Grace went above and beyond with networking with prospective students, stakeholders and influencers and answered all questions in depth.

Grace has excellent communication skills, which she expresses through her impressive knowledge of university life, opportunities for young professionals and the region itself. She is tenacious and possesses a very creative mind, always suggesting strategic ideas for projects suited for social media platforms and student engagement, which has supported the @ncl_sacs account.

With great interpersonal skills combined with her confidence, Grace would be an invaluable employee suited to numerous roles within the journalism and media industry.

Grace has recently fulfilled her term as Assistant on our SAC Futures project where she not only met our expectations in the role but exceeded them in all sense. In a short time she was able to fully integrate into our small team where we were ever impressed at the research and ideas she was able to bring to all our meeting, pitching several projects and initiatives she was then able to complete adding value not only to the SAC Futures platform but to the student population it supports. Her work ethic is second to none and complemented with her impeccable organisation and time management skills. She has showcased at every opportunity her creative mind and ability to generate fantastic content which always has the audience in mind whilst still working within our organisational and our brand guidelines.

It has been such a pleasure to manage someone with such skill and enthusiasm for the work she does and I am looking forward to seeing the fantastic achievements I have no doubt she will go onto make.