Meet our Alumni
Name : Amy Cabella
Year Left RMGS : 2020
What did you study RMGS? GCSE subjects : Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Lit and English Lang, Geography, Maths, Physics, Spanish, RE. A-Level subjects : English, Spanish, Cambridge Pre-U Philosophy and Theology, PQE
What did you do after Leaving RMGS? BA Philosophy and Politics at University of Exeter
Employment : Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Exeter Labour Party as a Data analyst within Politics Departments, Admin Assistant to (at the time) Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Helen Dallimore
What are you doing right now? Fundraising Assistant-Meningitis Research Foundation
What do you enjoy the most about your current position? My role provides a great deal of insight into the value charities provide for those who have been afflicted by traumatic experiences, currently those caused by meningitis and septicaemia. Meningitis is a fast acting killer, that disproportionately affects students, babies and children. My role covers the entire Fundraising Department, Community fundraising, National Events and Student fundraising. It is a highly varied and incredibly rewarding role, working with a Charity that works globally to fund, research and raise awareness about meningitis and septicaemia. I have been able to progress within the Charity quickly and have been afforded varying jobs that required travelling, with a foreseeable future working to create a world free from meningitis. The personal stories of families that have lost love ones to meningitis, who have been able to find peace and comfort with the support of Meningitis Research Foundation and have now turned their negative experience into a positive one by contributing to the work we do here, is nothing less than inspirational.
Would you recommend your current position to others? Working within the Charity sector is very different to other sectors. It requires someone who is passionate, driven and always endeavours to impact the world in a positive way. I cannot recommend enough, the importance of a role working within a Charity. Whilst BAU may seem overly full of data, analytical work and trivial details, it all contributes to a bigger picture which sees individuals directly impacted by what you do every day. At University, I dedicated a lot of time to societies, working with Charities, becoming a Brand Ambassador and hosting my own charity fundraisers. This afforded me the opportunity to utilise those skills to further my career doing something I thoroughly enjoyed.
If you could give our students one piece of advice - what would it be? Life throws so many obstacles at you; it is unpredictable, at times it feels as though those obstacles are unsurpassable, it has its’ constant up and downs and as someone who experienced those, I know it is difficult. In those moments, whether your worries are personal or about your academia, try as hard as you can to look to the future and picture where you want to be in 2, 5, 10 years’ time. To be able to look back on what you did, or who you used to be, and feel pride in what you have been able to overcome is a powerful and incredible feeling.
For any students who are not sure about what they want to do - what would you say? Don’t get bogged down in not knowing what you want to do in your future. Future goals and being able to look back on what you overcame 5 years ago, isn’t always about physical or material things. It can be that the anxieties that you once had, or your fears, are something that don’t concern you anymore. Or perhaps you recognise that you were overly engrossed in what people thought of you, or how you were perceived, and that is something you no longer care about. However, if you do have aspirations for your future, take all the opportunities that are presented to you and make the most of them. Some of the things that I do at RMGS, particularly in Sixth Form, helped me take the step to get into University firstly, and later become part of Society Committee’s, hosting fundraisers, that eventually led to me working for the Meningitis Research Foundation now.
What was your biggest inspiration for choosing your Career Path? In 2020, at the beginning of Year 13, my Grandad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of terminal lung cancer that he developed after working with asbestos as a Carpenter in London. He passed away nearly 6 months after he was diagnosed. Mrs Wayte, from the SEN department, was an absolute rock for me during those really hard months. I would try my best to sit in class and study for my A Levels, but I constantly found myself getting upset and would go to sit in the Library. Mrs Wayte was always supportive, kind and helped me deal with grief and loss of losing my Grandad, I couldn’t thank her enough. Macmillan and LASAG (London Asbestos Support Awareness Group) were pillars of my family’s support network. It made me realise the how important the work of Charity’s are for those that benefit from their support, research and kindness. I have since run a Marathon for Macmillan and recently, did Sober October for them too!
What is your ambition right now? My ambitions are both personal and professional. I currently live in Bath with my partner in our first home together, and am looking forward to building our future together! Working at the Meningitis Research Foundation has been an incredible experience, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I have had to get me here, starting from those available at Rainham Mark! I see my future ambitions taking me higher up in the Charity and one day, would love to open my own Charity in the memory of my Grandad.