How long have you worked at ELC?

I have been at ELC since June 2014 – so nearly two years!

What does your job involve?

My job as the social programme organiser means I design, plan and run the social programme for students to enhance their stay here in Brighton and help them to meet new people and try new things whilst improving their English at the same time! I do tours of London, Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge, Harry Potter Studios, we visit the London musicals and I create a different programme each week to accommodate the varying interests, ages and budgets of the many students. I also have to organise activities to suit those who are only staying for two weeks – so the most popular things to do to make the most of their time – and to find new things for those students who are here for 11 months who may think they have done everything there is to do. Luckily there is lots to do in Brighton I am always able to keep the social programme changing and we have London very close too - there is a saying that ‘if you are bored of London you are bored of life!’

I also take suggestions from students and find out what they want to do and organise activities for them based on that. As well as the social programme, I work on Reception, answering the phone, greeting visitors and new students and also help manage the social media accounts like Facebook & Instagram.

What do you like most about your job?

I love that I have the opportunity to meet and get to know so many different people from all over the world. I find the students to be very uplifting and inspirational and they teach me new things  everyday as well as bits of languages; I’ve learnt a fair amount of Arabic since I’ve worked here at ELC which I can impress my friends with! I also love how varied my job is – I don’t think I could have a job where I was doing the same thing all day every day, I’d go mad!

How long have you lived in Brighton?

I have lived here since September 2007 when I moved up to come to university. I am originally from Penzance in Cornwall which is in the South West of England and is about an eight hour drive away. It’s a beautiful place but I prefer Brighton as there is more to do see.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone coming to Brighton for the first time?

Make sure you visit the countryside as much as you visit the beach and the town. There’s a lot of beautiful spots!

How do you like to spend your free time?

I am obsessed with food so I spend a lot of time cooking, taking photos of food and putting it all on my blog, it’s a way to incorporate many hobbies in one: photography, cooking, writing, web design and making videos! I also like exploring new places and music.

Have you ever lived in another country?

I’ve worked in other countries. I spent 4 weeks at a hostel in San Diego, California, 3 weeks working in another hostel in Brazil and 15 weeks at a summer camp in Spain over two summers. I’ve also visited many places – more across the world than in the UK!

Tell me a joke -

What did the number 0 say to the number 8?

‘Nice belt’