We started by welcoming Yuan and Jackie into Kendrick School and took them into Room L, where the chairs were arranged in a circle to create a more informal, conversational atmosphere.  Yuan started by giving some advice on public speaking. In her current role as an MP, she speaks in the Houses of Commons on pressing issues. She was keen to know if we had a debate society and fondly talked about her time in sixth form as part of the debate club. Having attended a secondary school which had just 20 girls in the year group, Yuan told us this was where she started asking political and critical questions.  Her passion for debate continued at the Oxford Union debate society, and she went on to coach debating.  At Kendrick School, we are very lucky to have a debate society that regularly works with Reading School, giving us the opportunity to use our voice.

Yuan then told us about her career in journalism as an economics specialist. This was particularly eye-opening as she did not have a portfolio (which is typically required to apply for journalism roles). Instead, she used her master's in economics to her advantage, and she was offered an internship at The Economist. This was very encouraging for us as many of the students attending are interested in Economics and this subject opens up many opportunities because of its diverse nature.  She then talked about her move to the Financial Times, where she was the China correspondent for Europe and, prior to that, deputy Beijing bureau chief, emphasising the importance of languages. Working in Beijing required technical knowledge of the language, and an understanding of local culture. Yuan benefitted from her mother being a Chinese Lecturer at university, but like myself, she was resistant to learning Mandarin when she was younger, as most people around us speak English. However, many students in Kendrick can speak two languages due to our strong MFL department and our diverse cultural backgrounds. It is up to us how we can further develop these language skills for a professional environment.

Finally, Yuan talked about her career in politics and how she uses her journalism skills in her role as an MP. Something that is important in any job is understanding different perspectives and appealing to a broader audience.  Yuan highlighted this through her community efforts as she visits many primary schools and secondary schools, engaging with and educating all ages of the community.  She further highlighted how her door-to-door calling during election time requires confidence and the ability to present herself in a short space of time, very similar to approaching people she hadn’t met in the hope of interviewing them. During the Q and A session, we could see that Yuan was a dedicated, passionate and community-driven Member of Parliament, demonstrated by her visit to Kendrick’s Journalism Club.

We are incredibly grateful to have had Yuan visit Kendrick’s Journalism Club; it was a truly enriching experience. Thank you to Yuan and her team, Jackie and Jac.

Thank you to Mme Marlow and Mrs Shaw for helping to facilitate the event.

Written by Izzy - Year 12