Since graduating from the University of Sheffield in June 2001 with a BA Hons in French Studies and successfully completing a Cambridge CELTA course at Leeds Metropolitan University in September of the same year, I chose to work abroad in a bid to consolidate and further develop my linguistic skills.
After working as a PA , translator and editor for an international law firm in Paris, I moved to Perpignan where I taught English for several years at primary, secondary and university level.
In October 2005, the University of Perpignan offered me the position of International Project Manager of the Erasmus Mundus Crossways in European Humanities Masters Programme.
Administratively co-ordinating an international programme involving a consortium of seven European universities, dealing with international students from all around the world, and working in close collaboration with the European Commission's DG for Education and Culture in order to promote higher education within Europe, I soon became accustomed to travelling around Europe and operating in a multilingual and multicultural environment on a daily basis.
In addition to already possessing a near-native level in both French and Spanish, during my time as International Project Manager of the programme I seized the opportunity to follow additional language classes at the university in order to facilitate communication with the countries forming the Crossways consortium. As a result, I am now also of an intermediate level in Italian and Portuguese, and know basic German.
I enjoyed the translation and interpreting aspects of my role so much that I applied to study an MA in Conference Interpreting and Translation Studies at the University of Leeds. I successfully gained a place on the course and thus returned to the UK in September 2009.
Since graduating in August 2010, I have been working freelance as a translator, editor, interpreter, and private language tutor. I gained Qualified Teacher Status in 2012, and have taught French and Spanish in several secondary schools.
In my free time I enjoy participating in many sports including running, tennis, skiing, golf, swimming, and Pilates. I also like watching football and rugby, going to the cinema, reading foreign literature, and travelling. I am currently training for my next marathon to raise money for a charity close to my heart.