Email: t.magee@qub.ac.uk 

 

Tell us about your academic journey before you began working at The Thomas J Moran Graduate School

I studied Sports Studies at Ulster University for my undergraduate degree. I then went on to to complete a MSc in Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health at Edge Hill University in the North West of England.

What was your career journey before you started working at the Graduate School?

I've always worked in a training and development role. I worked for a company travelling all over Ireland delivering workshops in secondary schools on study skills, neuroscience, exam stress and anxiety. I then worked for a mental health charity supporting adults through their mental illness recovery, I delivered personal development, employability training and sports programmes. I then worked within Student Wellbeing at QUB as the Student Support Liaison Officer; my role was to support the staff supporting students by delivering training and informational workshops. I managed to train and inform over 2000 Queen's staff on how they can support student mental health and wellbeing.

How has your previous academic or professional experience prepared you for your current role?

Academically, achieving a MSc with Distinction honed my research skills and critical thinking skills as well as the ability to engage with complex issues like mental health, wellbeing and elite sport, which are directly transferable to leadership and management contexts.

Professionally, I have extensive experience in developing and delivering high quality training workshops for diverse audiences. I’ve designed and facilitated training that is tailored to specific needs of various groups and organisations. I have also led a number of projects creating change and challenging norms within organisations. Lastly, I have conducted large-scale research projects, which has given me the organisational and interpersonal skills necessary to guide and develop our Postgraduate Students to be Thinkers, Leaders, Innovators, Communicators, who are Future-Ready.

 What's your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

What I enjoy most about my role as Training and Development Consultant is getting in front of diverse groups of students, challenging and changing perspectives, and learning from the incredible students I interact with.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job?

Working with enthusiastic, determined and aspirational postgraduate students, the most challenging part of the job is the ‘outside’ world. We are in this world where industries are rapidly changing, sometimes by the day! Ensuring that the skills, knowledge, and qualities we teach remain relevant can be a challenge. I must continuously adapt to align with new developments, which requires constant learning and flexibility. But we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t enjoy the challenge.

If you could give one piece of advice to incoming students, what would it be?

Never be afraid to ask questions - you aren’t expected to know everything. If you are wondering and have a question, it is likely others are thinking the same.

Are there any unique resources or opportunities available through your department that students might not be aware of?

The variety of 1:1 consultations students can avail of. I thought the 1:1s were just academic skills related, but students can book 1:1 appointments for help with CV’s, LinkedIn, job hunting or advice and guidance on a business or start-up idea.

What's one thing you can’t survive a working day without?

Runch (a run during lunch). Also, a daily update/photo of my daughter from her childcare provider.

How do you stay up to date with the latest developments in your field to better serve students' needs?

I am always learning. I love attending workshops/seminars and conferences related to training, leadership, wellbeing and education. This helps me stay informed about emerging trends, new teaching methods, and innovative leadership models that I can bring to my job. I'm also a big people person, I actively engage with fellow professionals/experts and colleagues within the University and beyond to network, gain insights into best practices, and learn from others who are also working to develop students.

Do you have any favourite inspirational quotes or mantras that keep you motivated in your work?

I love inspirational quotes and have loads that keep me motivated. I have just finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear for the second time and one of the quotes that sticks out for me from that book is “Every action you take today is a vote for the person you wish to become tomorrow.”

Do you think there are any unique challenges that students face today that are different to the challenges students faced in previous generations? What are they?

I personally believe all students throughout the generations have faced unique challenges during their studies. I think the important thing to realise is that if you are struggling with anything, no matter how small you think it is, you are not on your own. Reach out, there is always support and you will find that there are others close to you feeling and experiencing the same thing.

Definitely in today’s society there has been a growing awareness and prevalence of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and burnout, which are increasingly reported by students. While mental health challenges have existed before, the combination of academic pressure, social media, COVID, and economic factors has exacerbated these issues for today’s students.

What's your favourite thing about Belfast that students should definitely check out?

A walk, run or cycle along the Lagan Towpath from Cutters Wharf all the way to the Mary Peters Track at Malone and beyond – trust me.

If you could switch roles with any student for a day, which program or course would you choose, and why?

Marine Biology and getting to go on one of their field trips. The thought of what goes on beneath the sea scares me and fascinates me in equal measure. To get just a tiny glimpse of our fascinating waters and the marine wildlife out there really intrigues me.

What's your favourite book or movie that you think every student should experience?

My favourite book is ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ by Ryan Holiday – I read this book within the first two weeks of lockdown during Covid and it completely flipped my outlook on what was happening to our world as we knew it. It’s all about the Greek philosophy of Stoicism and turning adversity into opportunity. We know things aren’t always going to go our way or how we expect them to, so what can we do about it?

My favourite film is Forrest Gump – not just because I love running but there are also so many great quotes – ‘What’s normal anyways?’

What types of music or podcasts do you enjoy listening to in your free time?

The music I listen to depends on my mood or activity: classical for focus, dance for the weekend, 50s & 60s for making dinner.

I love listening to podcasts on my runs or whilst commuting to work. I'm constantly learning and wanting to develop personally and professionally. The podcasts I listen to are The High Performance Podcast and The Diary of a CEO, as well as some sports ones for easy listening.

If you could travel back in time, which historical era would you visit and why?

The 50’s. Two reasons, to witness Roger Bannister break the 4-minute mile and to enjoy the music.