Our Alumni

New Lands Beyond Newlands: Our Newlander Alumnae

At Newlands, we’ve always believed that every girl carries ideas, ambition, and possibility within her — and nothing makes us prouder than seeing where those ideas take our students once they leave us. Our alumnae are living examples of courage, compassion, and commitment in action. They are scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, engineers, campaigners, creators, and leaders in every sense of the word.

Wherever they go, Newlanders continue to shape their communities with the same spirit they brought to school: a willingness to try, a desire to help others, and a belief that they can make a difference. They are part of our story, and we are honoured to be part of theirs.

A community that continues long after school

One of the most special things about Newlands is that the community doesn’t end when you walk out of the gates for the last time. Our alumnae return often — to share their journeys, inspire current students, and remind us all that the path beyond school is full of opportunity.

Whether they’re speaking at events, offering career insights, mentoring younger students, or simply popping in to say hello, our former Newlanders bring a sense of continuity and pride that enriches the whole school.
Their stories help today’s students imagine their own futures. Their generosity helps the next generation step forward with confidence. And their presence reminds us that once you’re a Newlander, you’re always part of something bigger.

Celebrating our alumnae

Why not explore some of the stories of some of our remarkable Alumni:

Becca

2025 Alumini

I am heading off to study Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford. The course is three years, and covers a breadth of history, from Archaic Greece to the Cold War, which means I get a great variety, whilst also being able to specialise in whichever periods I would like. The course allows you to also learn Ancient Greek or Latin, to help fully immerse yourself in the culture and read primary sources!

The application process includes early entrance for Oxbridge via UCAS, submitting written work from your school work and, of course, the interviews. It can seem quite daunting, but there’s lots of help from the University and online to give you the best advice!

In the future, I would like either to pursue further study and research, which would probably mean learning a few more Ancient/Medieval languages and focusing on areas less known to our modern society, like the so-called “Dark Ages” of the Anglo-Saxons.

Becca's tips for you

• If you are interested in attending Oxbridge, my best advice would be to simply explore your subject(s), be curious about things, and go down rabbit holes in your pursuit for the answers.
• Be interested in the world around you, and how it relates to what you want to study.
• Take opportunities to further your knowledge and your opinions by reading, listening to podcasts, attending lectures, asking your teachers questions etc.

Good Luck!

Lola 

2025 Alumini

I am studying for a UAL Level 4 Professional Diploma in the Art Department in film, which is the equivalent of the first year of an undergraduate bachelor's degree. I am taking the course at Pinewood Studios, which is part of the Creative Media Skills Institute (CMS) course that is part of the Buckinghamshire College group.

In the CMS program, there are five different courses you can take, including production management, screenwriting for film, directing and cinematography, hair and make-up/costume and special effects makeup and the art department. In the art department course, I will be taught different skills, including sketching, storyboarding, miniature model making, set building, learning how to use industry-related software, including CAD and much more.

For me, the application process started as soon as I turned 18,
which was in October. To apply, I went to the Creative Media Skills Institute homepage, where it explained what each course would entail, and then I was allowed to apply on the website. Due to my being under 19, I’m able to access the course for free; however, there is a £350 fee, which goes towards materials and the end project.

My career goals are to eventually be hired to work on big blockbuster movies, creating props or sets. And if I were lucky enough, I would love to be hired by Lake Studios, who create stop motion animation movies, including Coraline and Boxtrolls.

Lola's tips for you 

• If you are interested in seeking a career in the creative world, you have to be proactive and look for courses that will fit you. And if you are specifically interested in film, remember to be open to saying yes to everything.
• The best thing you can do in the creative industry is to get as much information and experience as possible. I know this can be scary, but I promise it will have its benefits in the future.

So, I’m wishing you lots of luck with your career planning and next steps in life.

Hana

2012 Alumini

After Newlands, I continued my academic journey in Marketing, Design and Communications at Nottingham Trent University. It took me a long time to decide on applying to Marketing courses as I was so convinced that a career in the sciences was the way forward! But I realised that I enjoyed Business Studies so why not make a career out of that!

As part of the university course, I was required to undertake a one-year placement and after my second year at university, I secured a position in BMW’s Marketing team. This was so incredibly valuable as I was able to put the theory I had learned into practice, get some real-life marketing experience and make great contacts. A placement year was incredibly helpful for my final year- including my dissertation- as well as for work as I was able to use the contacts I had, to secure roles while at university and after graduation.

My first two roles after my placement year were agency side, so we would be briefed by our client as to what they wanted with their product and present them with the results of the campaign. However, I soon found that agency side just was not for me so I decided to go back to client side and now I am a Marketing Executive at a global smart meter manufacturer, helping to lead the marketing department as our company plays a key role in Great Britain’s national smart meter rollout and as we expand further into other parts of Europe.

As a Marketing Executive, my role is more general so I get to work across a number of high profile and varied projects such as social media management and planning, event management, internal communications, website management, market analysis, invoicing and customer communications via email marketing.

I have also recently started my own volunteering project to help students gain further insight into careers in Business & Marketing by providing talks, workshops and an online platform.

Hana's tips for you

• Never underestimate the value of experience: Any small amount of experience is good experience – so take that three week internship at your local business and build up some real life working examples to showcase your skills!

• Advertise yourself!

Write an advert for yourself as if you are a product! Include your key skills, benefits and features but don’t forget to keep it realistic and accurate as you will need to back this up in applications and interviews!

• Make time for your hobbies
• Relieve the stresses of life by continuing to follow your passion in your hobbies. It’s a great distraction and adds further to your skill set!

Rebecca 

2012 Alumini

When I left Newlands after GCSEs I decided to focus on my health rather than my education. This allowed me time to work out what I wanted to do and create a suitable path for myself.  I applied to do a foundation degree (FdSc) in food science at Plymouth University. After completing this I did a top up year gaining a Bsc Hons in food marketing management at Sheffield Hallam.

I have now just entered my second year at Morrisons Manufacturing graduate training. Morrisons are not just a supermarket but a vertically integrated company owning logistics and manufacturing sites as well as retail stores and petrol stations. We are the 4th biggest supermarket and 2nd largest food manufacturer in the UK. My training takes me on rotations to learn the business from all perspectives and complete all sorts of different projects. At the end of my second year I will get a management or specialist role depending on what I decide I want to do.

Rebecca's tips for you 

• Don’t worry if things don’t always go to plan or you change your mind about what you want to do in life. It is never too late to sort things out or change direction.
• Determination, hard work and resilience go a long way. Never give up and I guarantee you will surprise yourself and everyone around you with what you can achieve.

Lucy 

2011 Alumini

I initially made the transition from University to the working world by undertaking a Remote Sensing internship at Aerospace and Engineering consultancy Telespazio. Throughout this internship I was shown different aspects of the business from the technical side through to sales and HR. This gave me perspective on what route I would like to follow for my career.

At the end of the internship I was offered a full time role in the GeoInformation department where I developed my coding and general computer skills, to create viable products using satellite imagery that we could use to generate business and make a profit. One example of this is, we would take satellite imagery of Rainforest areas once a week and monitor whether there had been any illegal deforestation.

Around 18 months into this role, I decided to apply for my current job. I now work at Energy Consultancy Wood Mackenzie. I work as part of a large team, where I manage changes and updates to our interactive Oil and Gas Map: PetroView. This product maps where different companies’ assets and interests are. This role is quite technical and involves a lot of computer work, based on the mapping software ArcGIS. I did not study computer science or engineering at university so initially I found the technical and coding side of the role quite challenging, but my company is supportive and very encouraging of further education and training which has helped me develop my skills massively.

Lucy's tips for you 

• I would highly recommend undertaking an internship if you find yourself in a position after university where you are not offered a full time role.

Tina 

2011 Alumini

Finding the right full-time job after University was not easy, but I had to start somewhere – so I worked for an engineering company as an Accounts Administrator, whilst working part-time at Lloyds TSB.

I wanted to achieve some personal goals so I spent 3 months in Central America, volunteering for a sustainable development charity called Raleigh International.

I became a Digital Marketing Executive for a Maidenhead agency. I now work under two managing partners as a Senior Marketing Executive which involves event management, campaign building, content creation, website management and social media strategy. It allows me to be creative, try new ideas and do what I do best – writing!

Tina’s tips for you

• The first and most important advice is ALWAYS believe in yourself and do what you love!
• University is not for everyone. Explore your options and research what works best for you.
• Whilst studying, get a part-time job because employers want to see experience as well as education.

Shabana 

2003 Alumini

At school I always knew I wanted a future and lifestyle in the design industry. My art teachers helped me to explore various modes of artistic expression, communication and they were the only people in my life at that stage I could talk to about design in general.

After I completed my secondary and A-level education at Newlands, I went on to study Art Foundation at Reading College with the advice from Newlands career advisors. That led me to study Graphic Design at University for the Creative Arts in Surrey.

My first job after university was nothing design related! I worked as a temp for 1 year in administration jobs and was constantly applying for internships and small creative freelance jobs, These footprints lead to a role as a web designer for a global pharmaceutical brand. I had to teach myself to code and I loved designing and building websites!

After that I went onto other design roles in financial services, mobile, telecommunications, software, agencies and all the time I was growing as a designer. Improving my skill set, networking with likeminded people, travelling and learning new skills. Throughout my career I have had opportunities to create brand identities, advertising, global websites, apps, event experiences, user experiences and lots of presenting!

Currently I am a User Experience Architect for a bio life sciences agency. I am passionate about this mantra: Good design is good will.

Shabana's tips for you

• Don’t worry about what your job title should be, think about what motivates you? What is your passion and makes you light up? Go ahead and pursue that!
• Find internships and opportunities and reach out to people who can give you insight and open these small doors for you.
• Never stop working hard, be kind to others and lead with good manners. Those small doors will always lead to bigger doors. So be brave!

 

Becoming a Newlander

We are committed to nurturing this culture of giving back and staying connected. If you are a former Newlands student, we would love you to Join our growing Newlander Alumnae community

By signing up, you’ll receive our weekly newsletter, invitations to school events — including favourites like the Christmas Concert — and opportunities to reconnect with old friends and meet fellow alumnae. You’ll also have the chance to share your news, celebrate your achievements, and contribute to a network built on mutual support and shared pride.

Whether you left last year or decades ago, your story matters here.