Rebecca was part of the University of the One Young World Bath 2025 Delegate Team, which gave her the opportunity to attend the Global Conference in Montréal, Canada. This was just one of many experiences she fully embraced to enhance her skills and broaden her horizons.
Grace Smith, a current Bath Insights Intern, caught up with Rebecca to discuss the opportunities she pursued and how she made the most of them.
Being proactively proactive
I felt it was really important to be proactive from the very start of my degree. I knew I wanted to get the most out of university life.
I started by seeking smaller experiences before applying to larger organisations. My first role was a remote summer internship with a charity in the United States, where I gained commercial awareness and helped encourage public donations.
This early experience gave me insights into professional teamwork, which I built on when I secured a summer role with the Conservative Party in Westminster.
I worked with their international team, writing briefs for speeches — including ones for Theresa May — on topics like international trade and violence against women and girls. It was incredibly rewarding.
These roles came through networking, both online and in person, and having the confidence to reach out to people.
It gave me a lot of self-belief, especially when working with high-profile individuals. What made it really special was working on issues I care deeply about, like violence against women.
Although it was initially nerve-wracking, I found that approaching people at conferences and seminars helped me learn to communicate professionally.
Being thrown into unfamiliar environments pushed me to network and create meaningful conversations. The more you ask and do, the more you gain and learn.
A trip to Canada
I also worked with the One Young World organisation, both locally and internationally.
I first discovered One Young World through a live stream. The speakers and topics were so inspiring that I applied to be a Bath delegate for the Global Summit in Montréal, which I got!
Representing the University of Bath at the summit was a unique and unforgettable experience. Seeing global leaders and inspirational figures was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It helped me develop the confidence to speak about important issues.
After returning, I worked on the One Young World Bath 2025 team alongside my studies — this was a part of my role as an official delegate for the University. I was responsible for securing speakers and sponsors for the event.
This role taught me the importance of delegation and shared responsibility, which are both key skills. Regular communication improved my time management and teamwork.
I focused on themes like gender-based violence and refugee issues, which aligned with my interests. I also ran a workshop during the conference, which helped me really develop my communication skills — I was engaging with students, professionals, and academics as part of this.