July Talk with Lucia Beggan

It’s July which is the second summer month and one which has a real sporty feel – including the end of Wimbledon, British Open Golf and the Tour de France! Today we're talking to Lucia Beggan, a student at Marling Sixth Form in Stroud who lives in Swindon. She's currently in year 12 and studying English, philosophy and drama and she has a part-time job as a cleaner.

What are your plans for the summer?
This summer I will be working as much as I can to fund a school trip to New York next year! 

I am super excited for it - I can’t wait to watch Broadway musicals with my best friends. When I’m not working, you’ll probably catch me down the skatepark. I skateboard every day without fail - everyone at the skatepark is really friendly, so it's like a big community gathering most nights. 

It’s a good way to catch up with friends - I always say ‘it’s not what you do, it’s who you’re with’, so I hope to make some great memories this summer.

Later this summer I will be going to the Reading Festival with people from school as live music is my favourite thing in life. I also hope to attend more gigs locally - The Vic in Swindon's Old Town always put on great metal acts

What are your personal plans for this month? 
At the end of July I’ll be watching Chicago the musical in Oxford for a school trip! I am so lucky that Marling organise such great enrichment trips, particularly in the drama department. Once school ends I will also have a couple of days working for Scott Media.

Do you like sport – and if so do any sporting tournaments or events stand out for you this month? 
I’ve always been rubbish at team sports - hand me a bat of some description and it likely won’t end well! I used to be a keen runner, doing 90 minutes consecutively a day: I really ought to get back into that - certainly not in this heat though. 

I got my first skateboard for Christmas when I was nine - fast forward to today and skating is still a huge part of my daily routine. 

It is my chosen method of transport - allows me to never be late for work - as well as an opportunity for social interaction. I’ve made some fantastic friends because of skateboarding. 

Next year I’d love to go to NASS festival - it’s a really cool skate, BMX and music festival near Bristol: I’ve certainly got a lot of saving to do!

July 17 was World Emoji Day and this often trends on social media. What do you think of emojis? 
This is probably not cool of me at all to admit, but I am a sucker for a good emoji. 

I use a variety - can’t say the same for my Dad, whose emoji vocabulary only knows the thumbs up. 

All jokes aside, I find them visually useful - they help me detect tones, sarcasm and intentions in personal messages, which is something I can occasionally find very difficult. 

I like the elephant emoji a lot - not that it has much relevance in a conversation, I just really like elephants.

Can you name one business you’d like to give a summer shout out too? Who has gone the extra mile for you recently? 
I don’t think I’ll ever shut up about Fiona Scott at Scott Media! I have done work experience with Fiona and Hannah Edwards this week as I really want to be a journalist, and it has given me so much hope for my future. 

I have learnt so much and I can now envision myself in this industry - every day has been exciting and I am sad it is coming to an end. However, Fiona has offered me some days to work for her over the summer - so in regards to my New York trip, this couldn’t have come at a better time! 

I will never forget this week - I hope to do a degree in journalism or a degree apprenticeship at the BBC, and the skills I’ve acquired this week will be helpful without a doubt.

And finally:  
This week put things into perspective for me: I will continue to work hard to accomplish my goals, and it’s shaping up to be a fantastic summer!