Hey! I’m Danielle, and for the last 7 months I have been a student with G-Expressions, as part of my BA Hons degree in Youth and Community Work.
This is my G-Expressions story…
Back in December, I wrote about how my life was changing pretty fast… Moving to Wales, starting my final year at University, beginning my student work placement with G-Expressions and embarking on this whole new journey, which no more than just 6 months prior to all this- I could only have dreamt of…. or so I thought anyway.
Now if this is all new to you then you can read the first part of my G-Expressions story over at https://gexpressions.co.uk/g-expressions-a-whole-new-adventure/ but now, I wanna catch you up on everything that’s new, I told you right, how becoming part of an organisation, who inspired me the way in which G-Expressions did, to me, felt crazy…
Well…. little did I know….. it was only going to get crazier.
Three weeks after my first blog post was published, after just about getting my head around the new life I had acquired…….
“We want to offer you the role of our Assistant Communications Officer“
THIS HAPPENED!
In my last blog, I spoke about how, G-Expressions was beginning to reinforce my self-confidence… after being welcomed into the team and being trusted with the roles and responsibilities I was delivering, I was starting to mirror some of the belief that was being shown towards me…. and this new development in my role…was going to take it to the next level.
Not quite what I imagined……
Due to the current climate, and the development in rules and restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 breakout, my degree ended, in a way, I never envisioned, self-isolating away from family and friends; with my bedroom acting as my classroom, google as my new library… It was not how a degree was supposed to go. But I did it… and I did it under a pressure that the 19-year-old at the start of this story, would never have carried.
Growing up, with a physical make up different to those around me, I heard the words “You can’t” on many occasions, and in a society, who has the tendency to compare ourselves to others, my confidence and self-esteem stayed low, many have lifted me up in the past- but something about this new role, lit a spark in me which before had been blown out by societies perceptions, a spark that was driving me to jump the hurdles I was being faced with.
Team work makes the dream work!
There’s a lot my new role has taught me, new skills which I’ve adopted and implemented into my daily work, skills enhanced by spending more than half my time employed to date- under lockdown. But aside from all the Comms speak, the technical terms… methods and mechanisms, I’ve learned the importance of a team, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people, who help you to believe in yourself and your capabilities, but also who help you reach them.
Fast forward six months, I wouldn’t be where I am now; Qualified, Employed, soon to start my MA degree and my second year living independently, if it wasn’t for G-Expressions… inspiring me the very first day…. giving me confidence in my own dreams, and the tools I needed to bring them to life.
In the space of 15 months, I went from dancer, volunteer, student, and now Assistant Comms’ Officer, I never would’ve believed the journey I had ahead of me. Now as I enter another new chapter in my story, I hope I can inspire those we work with, to believe in their own capabilities… but also to create them.
