“If anyone has the opportunity to go to Marjon, they should take it.”
You hear lots about what it’s like to study at Marjon, what the University has to offer, and what careers you can get into when you graduate, but how often do you get to see a long-term success story?
We spoke to Emily Hillman, a teacher in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who graduated from Marjon in 2003. Emily went on to gain her PGCE in 2012 and has had a great teaching career in both the UK and abroad. See what Emily had to say below.
“I studied Sport Development with Computing, Information, and Technology at Marjon, and now I teach sport in an international school in Dubai. I’ve taught Emirati (UAE citizens) young people PE for seven years and have been teaching PE since 2012.
I did my teacher training year in a school in Harrow and felt that, if I could teach in an inner-city school in London, I could teach anywhere. I spent five years teaching there and became the Pastoral Lead for a while before I decided I was going to take my skills abroad.
“I love teaching because of the impact I can have.”
Teaching often gets a bad reputation, and teaching isn’t for everyone. I think if you have a natural instinct with children and young people, maybe have an interest in child psychology or coaching, or you understand how child development works, you should definitely go into teaching. You get actual experiences that help you to understand why these young people make good or bad decisions, how your words, behaviours, and actions influence them, and what impact you have. When you’re training to teach, you’re told all about your impact and how important you are in a young person’s life and development, but you don’t truly see it until you are in the classroom every day. I love teaching because of the impact I can have.
For example, when I have a new class of students, I focus on supporting and encouraging those who might not naturally enjoy or be confident in sport, because I know the more I believe in and encourage them, the more likely they are to become self-motivated and succeed. Culturally in the UAE, girls participating in sport isn’t as popular as it is in the UK. It’s my responsibility to create a positive relationship between girls and sport, to give them greater opportunities and to develop a love of sport.
“There has to be more opportunities for girls at grassroots level to be able to play and perform in sport to continue to encourage this cultural shift and see girls as equal competitors. “
Teaching PE is great because you can see everyone achieve in something. You might be great at gymnastics or swimming, you might even just love the teamwork aspect, but everyone has their strengths. I’m a basketball player, and those clubs are our passions. Sport is infectious because it can be so enjoyable, and you can show your true self on the sport pitches.
I played basketball at Marjon whilst I was working for the Plymouth Raiders. A lot of the Raiders’ team at the time was made up of Marjon students and alumni. We had great coaching support and I made life-long friends in my teammates, and I still play basketball now, 20 years after leaving Marjon.
Sport in the UAE is really varied. They like shooting, jujitsu, horse riding, camel racing, and endurance challenges in the desert. There’s a lot of competitiveness and they love to win. Sport is thriving, and it’s really positive in school because it allows the teenagers to express themselves, especially when hormones come into play. For example, the boys like to assert dominance, the same in every country, so being able to do this safely in jujitsu stops them from taking it into the playground.
“I realised how amazing it was that we can get grants and loans and bursaries so we can access higher education”
I’m one of seven siblings. Both my parents went to Marjon and met through the football team, later marrying. My mum trained to teach at Marjon and taught in a Plymouth school. When we were younger, our parents took us to all kinds of clubs and camps during the holidays because they had to work, so we got into sport at a very young age and had a chance to develop those fundamental skills early on. I wasn’t into academics when I was at school and used to misbehave quite a bit. I didn’t enjoy my A-Levels and didn’t think university was for me. I went to Camp America and became a Sports Coordinator at the Queens Camp in New York.
Whilst I was out there, I learned that most of them didn’t go to university because they couldn’t afford to go. So, when I got back to the UK, I realised how amazing it was that we can get grants and loans and bursaries so we can access higher education and get a degree. I applied to study at Marjon, and it was only while I was there, I was diagnosed with dyslexia.
As soon as I was diagnosed, I was given all kinds of support; a laptop, a dictaphone, all sorts to help me succeed and have the same opportunities as my classmates. My friends were really supportive too, helping me write and check my essays, lots of words of encouragement. I hated the exams because my dyslexia meant I struggled to retain things, so it wasn’t an easy journey, but I graduated proudly with a 2:1.
“the British education system is really respected around the world, it’s exceptional.”
I thought when you become a teacher you’re tied down to a school in the UK and you get stuck. But, that isn’t true. Teaching is a universal skill that you can take anywhere. It’s a good career to choose if you want to travel because the British education system is really respected around the world, it’s exceptional. It’s great to be a British-trained teacher because you can find work pretty much anywhere in the world. Many families in Dubai want to send their children to UAE British schools to be taught a British curriculum by British teachers for them to get GCSEs, because they know that a British education is first-class, and it’s like a passport around the world. If you have a British education, you can do anything.
“As a woman in Dubai, I feel so safe and respected.”
Duabai is great because it’s so multicultural. We have lots of diverse communities like Indian, Filipino, American, Lebanese, Egyptian, and loads more. And I wouldn’t live anywhere else. As a woman in Dubai, I feel so safe and respected. You can go outside of your house day or night, and you’re never in fear. There’s no theft, you can trust people, and there’s such an element of respect and care for one another.
Ramadan is 30 days long, and I have so much respect for those who do it. It’s also such a beautiful time of year in the UAE. People are so caring for each other and it’s a real time for community, and there are so many activities people can do together.
“having a university like this on my doorstep was such a blessing.”
My favourite memory of Marjon was going to morning lectures with friends, then playing matches in the afternoons, eating in the Hub, and I really appreciate that Marjon taught us to express ourselves and be authentic. There weren’t right or wrong answers in essays, our lecturers wanted to know what we thought, what our opinions were.
I loved Marjon’s inclusiveness and adaptability, and the support I had for educational needs that had never been addressed before. I had a start playing a sport that’s become a life-long love of mine, and the opportunities I had were amazing. Marjon really catered to my needs, and having a university like this on my doorstep was such a blessing. I would say if anyone has the opportunity to go to Marjon, they should take it.”
If you’re interested in studying at Marjon, find out more information on our programmes here, or book your place at our next open day here.
Post authored by:
Emily Hillman
Marjon graduate
Developed By:
Patrick Owen
Press & Public Relations Officer
Plymouth Marjon University
