Madeleine Leathley is one of the first Essex graduates to have taken advantage of our Q-Step Affiliate Status, which allows students to gain quantitative skills through specialised degree pathways and work placements.

Madeleine Leathley

Madeleine, who is graduating with a BA Politics, spent her placement at YouGov where she “learnt about the entire process of online polling, including scripting questionnaires, data analysis and writing press releases.”
She said: “I was able to run my own questionnaire on the funding of the public sector. It gave me a fantastic insight into the industry and taught me skills that I could then use in the final year of my degree.”

Madeleine, whose extra-curricular activities have included learning Arabic, being President of the University of Essex Choir and working with the Big Essex Award team, said: “The most valuable thing Essex has taught me is to give everything a go, who knows, you might find something you really enjoy!”

The doors to Graduation 2016 open on 12 July. 4,691 students will graduate, bringing the number of Essex graduates, since 1964, to more than 93,000.

Each and every one of our 2016 graduates has had a life-changing experience. They have risen to the challenge of developing a research mindset, they have been involved in clubs, societies and volunteering, and they have grasped opportunities.

We can’t tell all their stories but our Graduating 2016 student profiles shine a light on the individual experiences that make the Essex family inclusive, international and inspiring.