For this year's school Enrichment Week (24-28 June 2024), our Year 9 students spoke with Abby Wilson, OH 1990-97 about her leadership roles while at Hymers College and how that can help you in later life.

Abby joined Hymers in Year 7, the second intake of girls after Hymers College went co-educational in 1989.  While at school there used to mini branch of what was then Midland Bank which is now HSBC in B1 on Mondays and Fridays at school. At the end of year 9, Abby was asked to run it for the next two years.

Given that people used to pay in cash and withdraw cash, it is rather amazing that I was left more or less on my own to organise a staff team to volunteer, staff the little mini branch and then run a service twice a week. I was the 'manager' of the bank for year 10 and year 11, and then in year 12, I was appointed the Managing Director of that year's Young Enterprise Team. We had a really good product (we made cushions - big ones like bean bags and little ones for sofas - we called ourselves Cushees), and this is when I first learnt about the power of chatting to people about what you are doing and listening to their adviec and taking offers of help. We were national finalist and went down to London for the day. We were pipped to the post for the big prize, but everyone was pleased with our achievements.

In Year 13, I was a senior prefect. I mainly remember standing in for people when they were 'ill' when it was there turn to read in assembly. We had four assemblies a week then and everyone in Year 13 was supposed to do a reading at some point. It was amazing how people happened to be ill the days that they were supposed to be reading in front of the whole school!

After her A-levels, she went to King’s College London (KCL) to study Law.  She became involved in her Student’s Union whilst at KCL and was elected as President of the Students Union in her third year.

Whilst I am incredibly comfortable being led by others as part of a team, I tend to take on some kind of leadership role in whatever I do now. Formally, that includes being a President of my student union (which for me, meant taking a year out at the end of my degree to be the student head of the Union) and the year before, I was part of the SU executive team, but on a part-time basis, so I was still studying.

I had a short break from being a trustee after that but then I was asked to become a trustee of a sports and community centre near where I worked. We moved the centre to be part of another local social enterprise, and I became a member of that trustee board.

Then, three years ago, I moved on to being on the Board of National Union of Students Charity .  Both in my trustee roles  and in my role on the shadow leadership board at my current work, it is important that I ask questions about what is happening and why. My time at Hymers certainly encouraged me to be inquisitive and the leadership roles that I took on gave me the confidence to know that whomever I am speaking to, I have something of value to bring to the conversation.

I was part of only 32 girls in the year when I was at Hymers, so those leadership roles for me certainly helped me to gain confidence to speak up in male dominated environments. As a bursary student, I was made to feel that it was what I could contribute that was important, not how much money my parents or grandparents had.

I am glad I got the chance to practice being a leader whilst I was at Hymers. I had some brilliant examples to follow, both from the Teachers and also from those students in the years above me and in my year.

During that year, she worked closely with the Development and Alumni Team at KCL; a team that looks after building relationships with former students to help support KCL in various ways.  She became interested in fundraising and is now Head of Philanthropy at City, University of London and also currently sits on a 'shadow' leadership board there.

I am incredibly grateful for my time at Hymers, where I learnt not only enough to get me a place at a great university in a very competitive subject, but also to appreciate how important it is to be part of a team, to ask questions along with the confidence to do so.

I will always remember being absolutely petrified reading to a packed Hull Minster for the school centenary celebrations.  Mr Paige, our then chaplain was slightly despairing with my practice speeches. I told myself that if at 16 I could speak in front of all those people and speak with confidence, I would be able to do public speaking anywhere. Thankfully, Mr Paige’s drilling and encouragement paid off, and I am still proud that I managed to do a good job that day. That is also what I remember, encouraging, supportive teachers who were really invested in us doing well, and pushing ourselves to do better, whatever that meant for each of us.

It amazes me how many of my year have gone on to be teachers themselves and I think it is a testament to the brilliant people that we had teaching and inspiring us.  I hope that each generation of Hymers students enjoy the great experiences, make friends for life and have the encouragement to push themselves like I did.