Henna Nazir just completed an internship as a micro social media influencer for Posh Cockney, an award-winning PR, Marketing and Events agency based in London. She is a former A Level student at NewVIc and came from Brampton Manor Academy and studied A Levels in Economics, Finance and Sociology. She is on a gap year doing various internships. Henna is now looking to progress onto an undergraduate degree in Midwifery. We caught up with Henna to find out a little more on her journey so far.

What made you apply to NewVIc?

I chose NewVIc because of all the opportunities it offered. I wanted to find myself and choose my own direction without anyone telling me how I should be or what I should do. NewVIc is a great college for all types of students, I heard a lot about NewVIc prior to coming (some negative) but when I came here and saw and experienced the college myself, it was totally different. The kindness and support from my teachers was superb, my experience became my own.

Tell us about your journey from NewVIc to POSH COCKNEY?

It was a massive jump from school life. This is when reality hits, but fortunately I was prepared because of NewVIc where I became very independent, encouraged to do independent learning, allowing me to learn how to stand on my own two feet. The internship with Posh Cockney has made me understand if you don't ask, you won’t get.

I had a lovely team that taught me a lot of transferable skills, my manager was so lovely and understanding. She always told me not to stress to much at this age and boosted my confidence.

I have learnt a lot from the opportunity I had with them, one of the key things in a work environment you must have is your own voice, you can raise questions if you are unsure about something or don’t agree with something, and be able to speak up.

I met some lovely people at this agency, people who have helped me grow for my future career.

How IS WORK LIFE IN COMPARISON TO COLLEGE LIFE?

It's very different, yet similar.

When I need to ask about a certain objective or a task I'm struggling with in my internship, I was able to ask my manager and at the same time not be fully reliant on them. This was similar to my student life at NewVIc as the majority of the time I spent out of lesson was on independent study to successfully complete my A Levels.

What are your memories of NewVIc?

I have many but my favourite memories will always be the fun I had with my classmates in my economics lessons. My teacher always made the class enjoyable and would even reward us for our achievements on the course by throwing us pizza parties!

We had a lot of fun working together especially when our A Level exams came around we worked as a team to help each other. If we were struggling with any topics we would help one another and get through it collectively.

What is your advice for students considering NewVIC?

I would say it's very different from any other college, if you like change and don't want to follow the crowd I would recommend NewVIc!

It has amazing opportunities for students; students can explore so many different things in courses, enrichment, sports and so much more. The teachers give amazing advice and help, and give realistic advice to help you once you have completed your studies for your next steps. All their advice stays with you, it has for me, not just for the short term but for the rest of your life!

How did you find the teaching at NewVIc? Did it prepare you for your next educational step?

The teaching at NewVIc was very good in my opinion. The teachers supported and directed me to very useful resources such as recommended books from the library and many exam questions which went along way to prepare me for exams coming up. Furthermore my teachers encouraged me to do a lot of independent reading and learning on topics before coming to the lesson which made me more knowledgeable on the topics which then enabled me to ask questions on anything that needed clarifying or discussed so I got a better understanding of it. This really prepared me after completing my studies as I had the confidence to be more dependent on myself rather than be dependent on others.

How would you describe yourself before you came to NewVIc?

I would describe myself as a quiet person. I wouldn't express how I felt if I was struggling with a task. I was afraid to speak up. However with the support of the teachers, it gave me a massive boost in my confidence. I didn't know the effects of positive feedback and even positive criticism had on me, yet it was visible with my active participation in class and the results achieved in my grades.

What are your future plans?

I would love to start another marketing apprenticeship to further develop my marketing skills or go to university to complete a degree in marketing and management. I am continuing my social media work and would like for that to grow as I love to create.

I’m really exploring my options and also thinking of studying midwifery to use my people skills for health care, and expand my knowledge in health and well-being. Lets see what happens, wish me luck!