Thomas Freeston

How have you found navigating university as a first and family student?

It's been quite a the journey in terms of self discovery in terms of my own self, but also it has felt almost a bit uphill at times in terms of not having someone in your family who could be a sounding board, perhaps give you advice from their own experience. You have to navigate that journey all on your own. 

I believe it's it's quite challenging at first, but it is quite rewarding because it does feel quite overwhelming. You know, experiencing a different academic culture and and process in terms of assignments, writing skills. However, you know there's lots of support that that you can lean on and which I leant on to to really, I guess, find my feet and I think, you gotta take that all on board and things, but generally in the end you could come out a lot more resilient, sort of self motivated because you're having to go on that journey yourself.  

How did you find the position that you're currently working in?

In the current role I am Vice President, Welfare and community at Kent Union. And I think that how I found myself is through really that journey at university, I think it led me to maybe where I am now.

From being in student groups such as the Psychology Society when I was a psychology undergrad, and then becoming a committee member gave me those skills and experiences of leadership. It brought me along that journey and then when I worked at the Co-op, I think that experience was quite useful because I was one of the supervisors and that gave me a lot of leadership skills. I didn't necessarily know, but that directly was meant that I was sort of a part of Kent Union and then I was all quite always quite intrigued by the officers and things and perhaps how they can be quite influential and make a lot of change. I felt like I could do that myself. 

I wanted to improve the things to students in terms of welfare. I had nothing to lose in a sense, but everything to gain in terms of If I could win. I could get some skills from it, and so I put my name forward to the first year around during COVID was unsuccessful. I didn't let that stop me and I went back again this next year and I got into the position. And so that's how I kind of found myself to get to the position I'm currently in.

I'm leaving Kent Union to go and work for Beats, as the UK eating disorder charity is their policy public affairs officer. I think a lot of the skills I gained in that this role at Kent Union have been fundamental and in allowing me to get to work there because it's that campaigning, that strategic mindset, that strategic thinking, it's it's building the stakeholder relationships. I think they're all really crucial skills that I'll need to take forward to be able to kind of work with MPs or People in the NHS to really prioritise treatment for eating disorders, so I think that's really, really crucial skills that have come from all the way back at being a leader in a student group to where I am going.  

What's your opinion on higher education and how has helped you in the working world?

My opinion is it can be quite transformative in terms of outside the classroom. In terms of that independence, and moving away from home. For many, it's the first time living on your own, discovering a new place, sorting out your own finances, and I think all of that is important. And I think it's a road of professional and personal development and it's helped me in the working world because it's gave me a lot of skills such as being able to feel independent. 

Being able to navigate things on my own confidently and not having to rely on others because of being first in the family. You've had to navigate on your own. I think university pushes you to do a lot of that, but there is a lot of support, of course, but it is quite a lot of independent self-discovery. It's given me experience in managing deadlines and working on group projects. 

Also extracurricular activities, getting involved with student groups or volunteering with Kent Union Parliament. When I was in my masters, things like that were really valuable skills. Having a network of peers and professionals who can help you with your career progression in terms of helping you figure out what you want to do, where you want to go, things you want to achieve.

What's been your greatest achievement since graduating?

I think perhaps getting this role at Kent Union. I think this has been really. I mean originally losing in the elections or not or getting the opportunity was quite disheartening. But then when I got it the second time round, I think it was, it was a big achievement because actually it showed a lot of personal resilience I think

It's sort of signifies maybe sometimes that you might do something or try something. It might not work, but it doesn't mean that it's the end of the journey that there's just. That wasn't the opportunity for you at that time. It doesn't mean that you can't do it. Just come back a bit stronger, more resilient. I think actually you know, it's that that being that first and family actually is probably help building that personal resilience in terms of being independent and actually not giving up because without all of that, I wouldn't necessarily have gotten to the place of being an officer and being able to make so much influence, change and, being able to lead projects to bring people on board, I think it's been a transformative experience, and really it's my proudest achievement because it's helped me grow even more confident.  

Who has helped you the most through university to become the successor you are?

I've been quite fortunate to have a lot of support and I think mainly firstly it comes from the people around you. It's, it's the friends you make in your course. I remember having quite a close knit friendship group in my undergrad in psychology and really we experienced everything together in terms of late minute late like last minute, late night assignments, trying to finish those it was.

Those people could lean on for questions and answers. I think without that that would have been really difficult. If I was absolutely alone. I think also it was quite inspiring to have great lecturers who really believed in me because often at times I didn't believe in myself necessarily and they could be quite great mentors, you know, like your academic advisors as well can really give you support and guidance to help navigate the challenges in, in the academic studies and things.

I got involved with other initiatives that were available to me, such as I got involved with this sort of, It was a twelve-week-long online internship. It was called fast futures and it was for those who might not necessarily have the opportunities to be able to develop skills. The Fast futures programme we we were given a mentor, so I actually had a mentor from legal and general. Someone who was working in finance and actually, I remember they helped me a lot as well in terms of CV writing. They gave me a lot of advice on how to craft a good CV.

Those extra opportunities I sought out helped me as well and they were a great mentor when I sort of utilised them as well, but also like careers and employability have been always really great in terms of aiming those employability points and being able to turn those in. That is already important and I think more people should definitely like it, should be a priority for them. You know, in your first few months is to go into create as an employability, have a chat with them. Say this is what I'm interested in, what sort of opportunities are there.

What is your most memorable university moment?

It's quite a few I think, because it has been quite a long time for me, like the seven years. I think for me sort of like extracurricular rise was when I was the President of the Psychology Society, it was COVID.
Everything was online, so it meant that all student group activities had to be virtual. There were about eight of us and I was President.  It was quite a confusing time, but it was really good because we were able to offer so much to students, so I remember doing an online career session.

So we invited about 6 or 7 alumni who work in the field of psychology as well as some people in the psychology department. We hosted a virtual careers sort of Fair and we had about 60-plus attendees throughout the evening I think that was empowering for me because being first in family and being able to provide that opportunity to maybe others who maybe were first in family or those who don't feel like they had support or guidance. So that was one of them. 

I think just really the friends and the memories like it was trips to Whitstable or things like that or living together. When you're after your first year, when you're looking for somewhere to live in your second year and most people tend to sort of maybe venture off off campus to live and try to find a group of friends. Then you get excited and you move in together and it's your first time experiencing, like, living in a house like with a load of friends. I almost wish I could go back and relive some of those experiences.

Is there anything you wish you'd known before you graduated?

I think being in this role at Kent Union has given me access to almost everything but so much that I wish I knew about as a student. And so I think maybe I'm quite good place to actually maybe answer this and I think some of the things include.

You know, I'm gonna give a plug to Kent Union because why wouldn't I? But you know, like, go into the Mandela building and speak to the personal reception and say "I'm here and I just want to know what you what you have to offer what you're about. I'm interested in these things. Like what can you do for me?" Like we've got a job shop. We've got over 250 student groups. You know, you can get involved with networks if you're passionate about representing particular interests or you have a protective characteristic that you're passionate about advocating for yourself and others. Just take it all in and, you know, utilise that.

Careers and employability are always one that that is really vital. You know, a lot of students in their final year will say to me like, oh, I wish I knew about it in my first year. So I think that's really important that you take advantage of all the opportunities that careers, employability have to help you build ACV to help you develop in interview skills, things like that.

So those are just a few things that I wish I knew before graduating.

Do you have any advice for 1st and family students or for any other student studying account?

Yeah, I think advice wise specifically for first in family students is that I found this too.
You feel like it's an uphill battle and I think for me, like coming from a school where I was surrounded, perhaps by a lot of middle class friends, it felt like I was quite alone already in terms of a lot of their families had gone to to university, so they knew what was the the trick of the trade things to do, things not to do. You know, they could help you with reviewing your assignments. 

So I think when you're, you've got all of that around you or it or you maybe feel that that's what's around you University. You do feel a bit like, oh, I'm a bit alone, but remember, When you get to the end and you're crossing that stage and you're graduating in the cathedral you can actually say that 

And when you cross like you should be really proud of yourself, you know, have your head held up high. You know, the biggest smile on your face because that was all your work. It's not to say that those who who had families who could support them in terms of like knowledge, things like that didn't get to that position on their own, but really like you, you figured it all out. You might have not believed in yourself, but actually, you were the one who got you to that position where you graduated and you shook hands with the Vice Chancellor, Chancellor. 

You can be really proud. I think just hold that that sort of that, that personal resilience, that motivation with you as you go on to your next step as well when you leave the university and think I'm the person I am today because of me and because of my resilience and determination.

It's your opportunity at University to make it what you want, Talk to people, talk to everyone. Get to know everyone, speak to your lecturers after class, and be like, what is it you do? How have you got here like? Things like that really, I think. And then just more generally for students who study at Kent. Network with other students and ask for help. Don't be afraid to. It's can be daunting, but actually that you wouldn't be the first or last too.