Growing up, my dad worked in the film industry. For me, that meant I got to visit all sorts of amazing places, like Mexico, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Beirut. One particularly memorable trip was Australia. We were staying in Queensland and took a boat out into the Great Barrier Reef. I spent the whole day snorkelling; it was incredible. I did a second trip back to Queensland because it was so memorable, but this time for Christmas. Enjoying a BBQ on the beach and swimming in the sea while the rest of my friends and family were shivering back in the UK was another experience I’ll never forget. I’m grateful for all the travelling I was able to do so early on. When you’ve lived in one place your entire life, it’s easy to forget how much more there is out there.
But sometimes, the biggest journeys in life aren’t geographical. When I was 13, I was diagnosed with an incurable, chronic illness. It took doctors quite a few years to come up with a diagnosis and it made my life really hard both at home and in school. Over the years, I’ve learned how to control my symptoms in order to minimise the impact on my life. That wasn’t an easy journey, but it was a necessary one for me. You don’t always get to pick your own adventures; but you can certainly try to make the best out of them. I believe some can be an opportunity for us to become stronger and better.
“My apprenticeship helped me realise how I’m capable of far more than I realised and to not be afraid to step out of my comfort zone.”
Getting onto the Head Office Apprenticeship was another hugely proud moment for me. There were so many passionate people on my assessment day who live and breathe British Airways and aviation. I thought I’d never stand a chance. And yet here I am. You never know what life has in store around the corner but working at British Airways has given me the confidence to face it all. It’s empowered me to realise just how much I’m capable of. Every single team works towards the same aim: to get those planes safely in to the sky. Rotating around the different business areas helped me realise that and also helped me get a feel for what I loved doing best. I even travelled to Durban on a project visit with the Flying Start programme and did a sky dive for charity. One of the most incredible experiences of my life so far.
I’m proud to work for British Airways. It’s an institution that has already given me so much. And even though I’m not sure what my ultimate goal might be, I know I’m at a place that will always support and challenge me to get there.