Alumna Inspires with Sustainability Careers Talk

Alleyn’s welcomed back Julia Elkouby (Tyson’s 2015) to inspire current students during Eco Week.  

Julia returned to share her insights on careers and sustainability, fuelling the flame of environmental consciousness that already exists amongst Alleyn’s pupils across the School.  

The Pavilion was packed as Julia, a successful Sustainability consultant, presented to students from Year 11 through to Year 13. Coincidentally, Ms Poole was one of the teachers present, remembering that Julia was one amongst just a small number of female students pursuing Further Maths at the time, and remarking how much times had changed with many more doing so today. 

Julia recounted her journey from the corridors of Alleyn’s to the vanguard of the emerging sustainability movement. She talked about her experiences working with global organisations and how her projects aimed to assess and analyse environmental impacts before providing advice on how to monitor and minimise impact as well as reduce carbon.  

Students were captivated by the perspectives offered by Julia’s experience, her love for her work and the significant impact she has made in promoting eco-friendly practices. She spoke about different types of sustainability measures and reminded the audience that sustainability covered Governance and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as well as the environment.  

“Study a subject that you enjoy at university” 

Julia offered the insight that she and her colleagues might often find themselves having to argue their case to well-established professionals, which is an interesting dynamic as a younger person in an emerging industry. She noted: “I felt confident to hold my own due to my experiences presenting at Alleyn’s and as one of a small number of females on my Mechanical Engineering degree course.” 

During her engaging talk, Julia highlighted some of the different career paths available within the sustainability sector and recommended that students study their interests at university before finding an outlet for them in the sustainability field. She mentioned the diverse opportunities available for those passionate about making a positive impact on the environment and encouraged them to get involved with local projects where they might find like-minded professionals.  

The Q&A session that followed allowed students to delve deeper into Julia’s experience and seek advice on navigating their own next steps. Questions included how they might find work experience, which professional sustainability bodies and networks existed, and whether Julia had found larger organisations to be authentic in their intentions or more interested in ‘green washing’.  

In return, Julia had plenty of questions about the School’s Eco Week activities, and indeed about its year-round sustainability-minded practices.  

Her visit served as a timely reminder of Alleyn’s commitment to nurturing environmentally conscious leaders, and her passionate message certainly resonated with students, leaving them motivated to explore careers that contribute positively to the planet. Thank you, Julia!