Megan Lee works as the Access and Admissions Assistant at Jesus College. Here Megan talks about her passion for outreach and access, her current work on the College’s British Bangladeshi and Pakistani Programme, the importance of the Astrophoria Foundation Year, and more.
Megan Lee, Access and Admissions Officer
What does a normal day look like in your role?
I’ve been working as the Access and Admissions Assistant at Jesus College for around half a year now, and the best thing about the role is that every day is different! A couple of days a week, I’m based in the Academic Office. On those days, I’m planning some of our major outreach initiatives. The planning goes right from the high level of policy research (who doesn’t love an afternoon on SOLO?) down to ordering sandwiches for lunch.
For the other three days a week, we’ll have a group of young people visiting Jesus College. Sometimes, this will be a school in our link regions of Wales, Wandsworth and Lambeth who will bring their pupils to visit; at other times, an educational charity such as The Brilliant Club or IntoUniversity will come to use our facilities for their events. I’m sure everyone else working at Jesus is very used to the sight of me traipsing through the college with 60 schoolkids behind me, looking rather like the Pied Piper!
Megan talks to students during a visit to La Retraite Sixth Form.
What key projects are you focusing on right now?
As this is my first graduate job after graduating from Hertford last year, it’s really exciting that I’ve been able to lead on some key projects so early into the role. The main one I’m working on now is our British Bangladeshi and Pakistani Programme. I’ve collaborated with the Tower Hamlets Education Partnership to reach out to state secondaries across the borough, and each has nominated a group of high-achieving students of Bangladeshi or Pakistani background. Across the next 10 months, I’ll be working with them to equip them with the information and tools they need to make empowered choices about their own higher education. Sessions will range from personal statement writing to a brilliant academic enrichment session at the Pitt Rivers, where we will explore items from the region.
We also work closely with the Seren Network, which is a programme for academically talented young people across our link region of Wales. I can’t wait for our Seren Summer Schools, when 75 students from across Wales will come and spend a week with us here at Jesus.
Megan giving a University tour to students from Mary Immaculate High School, Cardiff.
Finally, we’re really excited to be supporting the Astrophoria Foundation Year. Despite our best efforts, access and outreach teams across Oxford don’t have infinite capacity, so we often end up working with young people who are already on track to achieve those three As at A Level, who are often deemed to have the most ‘realistic’ chances of getting into Oxford. Sadly, that means we sometimes miss those prospective students who have brilliant academic potential but will struggle to reach those grade requirements due to all manner of educational disadvantage. That’s why it’s so important to have programmes like the Astrophoria Foundation Year which slot perfectly into that gap. I recently spent a week in Wales attending UCAS fairs, and there was a lot of interest from students who would really benefit from the Foundation Year. They were so excited to hear about a new route to Oxford, which proves to me that there’s both a demand and a need for the programme.
What do you enjoy most about the role?
Brace yourself, cliché incoming: the people! I’m lucky to work with a close-knit team in the Academic Office, which really came to the fore during admissions season in December, when it was all hands on deck. I work closely with our Access Fellow, Dr Matt Williams – you can also read his AAD News Alert staff profile! He’s a bit of a celeb amongst schoolkids, and we regularly get stopped in the street by people who recognise him from the Jesus College YouTube and want a selfie. I think that shows the power of digital outreach; it lets young people connect with us here in Oxford from across the country.
Even more important, though, are the young people we work with. With hundreds of pupils coming through the college each month, I get to meet so many driven, hard-working, determined young people, who range from primary school children up to sixth formers. Getting to know them is such a joy. I really believe that it’s those personal connections that make Oxford feel like a warm place where someone might want to study. I’m not trying to sell Oxford in particular to them, but I hope that making one-on-one interpersonal connections will show that higher education in general should be inviting rather than intimidating.
And what do you enjoy most about working here at Jesus College?
The role of Access and Admissions Assistant at Jesus was my first graduate job and, as with any new job, I was apprehensive, but I needn’t have been! It’s a great environment to be starting out my career in. Of the many things I enjoy about working at Jesus College, one that stands out, is the support I have received for my personal progression. From day one, the people around me took an interest in my career goals, ambitions, and interests. The work I do is consistently tailored accordingly, so I’m never bored! Due to all the training and support I’ve received, I really feel like I’ve been invested in. As someone at the outset of my working life, that’s invaluable.
This article was first published on the University of Oxford Academic Administration Division (AAD) News Sharepoint site. With thanks to the AAD for allowing us to share it.