Former students return to make Enterprise Day a class act
AEROSPACE engineer Natalie Dankova returned to her former school to inspire pupils to follow their dreams and explain how her Roma roots have not been a barrier to her success.
Seventeen-year-old Natalie, who works at Rolls-Royce, returned to The Bemrose School – just two years after leaving – to inspire Year 7 pupils with the value of hard work.
During the Enterprise Day, which allows pupils to explore the world of careers, Natalie shared how her dedication in school helped secure her place in Rolls-Royce’s highly competitive young apprenticeship scheme in Year 9.
During Years 10 and 11, she attended The Roundhouse College once a week as part of the programme and has now returned to the school as a Rolls-Royce representative, leading team-building activities with circuit boards to give students a glimpse into careers at the company and reinforce the power of perseverance.
Natalie, who is originally from the Czech Republic, said: "It’s been great returning to my old school and reconnecting with everyone, especially the teachers who supported me and helped me get to where I am today.
“Talking to the younger students about my journey into my dream job has made me reflect on just how far I've come.
“I hope I have inspired the students today and helped them understand the importance of hard work.
And she wasn’t the only former pupil leading sessions at the Enterprise Day, Aimen Sadeedi, now works at the school, located on Uttoxeter New Road, as a teaching assistant after completing her A-levels at the school last year.
Aimen led dynamic sessions for Year 7 students on the significance of verbal and non-verbal communication, impressing them with insights, such as that just 7% of communication is verbal, while 55% comes from non-verbal cues like body language.
Aimen said: “The pupils have really engaged with the activities today and have surprised themselves after learning how important non-verbal communication is.
“I made the sessions fun and interactive to engage the pupils, using games like charades and getting them to draw back-to-back.”
Among those present at the enterprise day were Sharon Gill, education officer, and Charmaine Marufu from Severn Trent Water also attended the event to educate pupils about the importance of softer skills, how these can be applied to future career steps, and the significance of water treatment.
Charmaine said: “The Bemrose School has an exclusive partnership with us at Severn Trent Water, providing many work experience placements for students in addition to running assemblies, workshops, supporting career fairs, and even offering site tours.
“Our goal is to give students insight into what it’s like to work at Severn Trent Water while emphasising the importance of teaching transferable life skills that can be applied in any workplace and throughout their education.
“In the first part of the session, we cover softer skills such as teamwork, motivation, courage, and resilience.
“We then set them a challenge to build the tallest structure using spaghetti and marshmallows, observing how they approach the task.
“This exercise serves as a test to see how well they absorbed the information from the first half of the session, as we look for examples of those softer skills in action, such as resilience if their structure falls and teamwork throughout the process.
“They become so focused on building the tower, and it’s a true test to see if they apply what we’ve just taught them.
“Everybody today did brilliantly and seemed to enjoy the task.”
Police community support officers Benjamin Hartley and Imogen Reeves from Derbyshire Constabulary shared insights with the pupils about the importance of police work, potential career paths within the force, and how to pursue a career in this field.
Benjamin said: “The pupils have been excellent and truly engaged with the information we shared.
“They asked some insightful questions, and their curiosity about police dogs was particularly impressive.
“This event has been a great success, as we aim to provide career guidance while also strengthening the relationship between the community and the police force.”
Atiyeh Vasim, a pupil at The Bemrose School who wants to be a doctor in the future, said: “I really enjoyed the Severn Trent Water class and learning about the importance of what not to throw down your sink.
“Today has also got me thinking about the importance of what I need to do at school for my future career and has inspired me to think about other career choices.”
Claire Amos, careers lead at the school, said: “It’s fantastic to provide new students with focus and guidance on what they need to achieve their goals. This support can prepare them for the future.
“Having two former pupils here to demonstrate what hard work can accomplish has been particularly inspiring, it shows the students that success is attainable with dedication and effort.
“We are incredibly proud to showcase what our school can offer and how it can shape their futures.
“This experience not only helps students understand the importance of their subjects now but also encourages them to envision the possibilities that lie ahead in their careers.
“We would like to thank Severn Trent Water, Lubrizol, Derbyshire Constabulary, the University of Derby, former pupils and all the staff here that have all contributed to this insightful event.”