The legacy of Saints Sport
Holly Hetherington (MA 2020) was drawn to St Andrews because of its friendliness, as well as the many opportunities it provided to take part in sport. Here she describes the legacy these opportunities have given her, and how her time at St Andrews – and in Saints Sport – have shaped the person she is today.
Sold on St Andrews
I distinctly remember visiting St Andrews on a Visiting Day and seeing some students walking along the street carrying their lacrosse sticks, waving to their friends, while others were sitting at tables in local coffee shops, reading or working on their laptops. There was such a friendly feeling about the town that I wanted to become part of it. I was immediately sold on St Andrews.
Another reason I wanted to come here was the variety of sports clubs that the University offers all students. I have always loved sport – from horse riding (which I began at the age of three!) to hockey, netball, athletics and rounders – but I was open to trying out new sports, too.
As it turned out I quickly got drawn into the Hockey Club because it was a sport I already knew, and the girls were lovely. I spent first semester of first year playing in the 2nd team and then moved up to the 1st team in the second semester, where I played until my third year. In my final year I stepped down from the first team because of other priorities, which gave me more time to take up netball again!
Opportunities through Saints Sport
Saints Sport is unique in that it offers students incredible opportunities beyond the pitch: coaching qualifications, volunteering and internships not only give you wonderful experiences and develop key transferrable skills – they also make you very employable!
I gained qualifications that enabled me to work as a hockey coach for the University and I also volunteered to coach on a Saturday morning for the Hockey Club’s outreach programme. In third year, I volunteered to work with Fife Active Schools, coaching in local primary schools that lacked Physical Education provision.
I became an intern on the Student Sport Team – first as Communications Manager on the Media and Comms Team and then as Events Officer during my final two years. This involved me sitting on the Student Sport Team Executive Committee and also on the University Board, which oversees how sport is run at the University.
Juggling two part-time jobs, being a coach, volunteering, participating in the performance programme for Hockey and maintaining my studies meant that I acquired a really diverse range of experiences and could demonstrate adaptability, time management and composure under pressure.
All these things contributed to my winning the Enterprise UK Management Undergraduate of the Year in my second year and helped to secure my summer internship with them. They also enabled me to gain an internship with Unilever, which then led to my graduate job.
Legacy of Saints Sport
Saints Sport has given me (as well as many others) a legacy that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
The friends I have made from all over the world and the bonds I have made with them are truly special and have served me so well in my new role as a Marketing Graduate with Unilever.
St Andrews is a diverse university that promotes inclusivity, sharing and learning from different cultures and life experiences. This has helped me immeasurably in a multi-national organisation like Unilever.
Balancing work, sport and volunteering commitments at St Andrews has helped me to manage my time, stay calm under pressure and work efficiently in my new role. This has led to Unilever commenting on my skill and passion for forming inclusive, hardworking teams.
I feel so lucky that I spent my formative years at such a special place, and that I truly threw myself into so many opportunities that have shaped the person I am today.
You can watch Holly’s Day In The Life on Saints Sports’ Youtube.