Hi everyone! I’m Amaya, and I’m one of the 2026/7 Student Fellows at BILT. I’m excited to be working on the theme of ‘Future Skills’, as I hope to empower students to recognise and fully ‘own’ the unique skills that they have developed during their time at the University of Bristol.
I graduated this summer from my English and Classical Studies BA here at Bristol, and I’m now studying a PGT English MA – so it’s safe to say that I love the university and the city! But this wasn’t always the case. Moving from the intensity of A Levels to an undergraduate degree with under ten weekly contact hours was overwhelming as a first-year.
Without weekly homework tasks and teachers telling me what to do, I didn’t know how to track my progress. What did the mark scheme mean by ‘fluent and engaging style’, or ‘intellectual initiative/ independent thought’? And how could I prove that I had achieved the vague learning objectives on my CV?
In my second and third years, I therefore became passionate about working with the university to support new students navigate the challenges of student life. As an English PASS Leader and Peer Mentor, I wanted to create an environment where students weren’t afraid to ask questions about anything, from assessments to circuit laundry. I learnt how to turn the jargon of unit descriptions into essay plans for confused students. I realized how to connect the jargon of learning objectives and essay feedback to the jargon of my job description.
So, I was dismayed to hear my final-year peers bewail the ‘unemployability’ of their Art History degrees, or the lack of jobs available for a French and Italian graduate with no work experience. I knew that they were suited to a range of jobs. I had seen them excel in written communication and research as they explain complex ethical problems in coursework essays, and develop key problem-solving and organisational skills as Social Secretaries. This made me realise that the main barrier for students, particularly those in non-vocational degrees, is the opaque jargon of degree programmes and job descriptions alike.
Within my degree, and my roles as an editor for various university-affiliated publications, I have developed a fascination with linguistics and language. I think that a model of translation can help students understand how to translate their experiences into evidence and skills. As a Design Research Intern at Industry of Us, I learnt the applicability of this interest in language in consumer research, so I also hope to bring these insights to my research as a Student Fellow.
Above all, I also want to encourage students to think holistically about their skills: to look beyond academics to the usefulness of their extra-curricular commitments, societies, and part-time jobs. Every student is uniquely valuable, and we have the power to unlock this treasure.
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