Being able to come back home and use the skills I learned at Cambridge was a real joy for me.
I’m the Mayoral Assistant in Middlesbrough, where I grew up, working in a council in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Before that, I studied Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Queens’ College. Cambridge gave me a much better understanding of political theory, and different perspectives and ideas, but it also gave me the tools that I now apply in the real world to help my community.
As well as academic skills, Cambridge boosted my communications skills and gave me the confidence to argue my point with anyone.
During supervisions at Cambridge – which take place multiple times a week – you sit down with an academic to discuss a particular topic. It’s a very encouraging environment, but you need to develop your own ideas, and to be able to hold your own in a discussion. Many of these academics are world-leading in their field, so it’s a great experience, and it means that in my career now I’m very comfortable talking to anyone, regardless of their position.
Ben Carr on site during his work as Mayoral Assistant in Middlesbrough
