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Leeds Beckett graduate 'star of future' with national mentoring scheme
Laura Healy, 23, who graduated with a first-class honours degree in BA (Hons) Events Management, is one of only 15 young females in the country to be selected on ‘Fast Forward 15’, an esteemed mentoring programme for future stars of the event industry.
She will be coached and mentored by international leaders in the events field, including Justine Kane, one of the founders of The Event Academy.
Laura explains: “Justine has a wealth of knowledge and I was incredibly privileged to be invited to work with her on the Fast Forward 15 programme. It runs for a 12-month period, where we will work together to achieve specific objectives and goals – both professional and personal. I plan on being promoted to managerial level and putting in the ground work to eventually own my own business. Fast Forward 15 will help me get there.”
Laura was also successful in securing a job before even graduating from university. She was appointed Project Co-ordinator for leading onsite event solutions provider, Cvent, earlier this year. The position involves working across Europe and into Dubai, managing events for global brands.
Immediately after finishing university, Laura spent her first month in post working out of the company’s HQ in Washington DC, before moving on to NYC to work on an event for Amazon. She has since worked on events for The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the NHS.
Laura’s love of travel began when she spent her placement year in Brussels, working as Events Assistant for MCI, the world's largest professional conference organiser. During her time there, she was able to work in Vienna, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Budapest and beyond for a prestigious list of clientele taking on all kinds of challenges; sourcing venues, managing contracts and logistics, and looking after delegates.
Speaking about her time at university, Laura said: “Being brought up on a working farm in a small rural community meant that I was relatively culturally naïve, but I’ve learnt that there’s so much I want to explore in the world, beyond the realms of my country village!
“I’ve taken away lifelong friends and professional relationships. Leeds Beckett offered some great networking opportunities, and gave me the confidence I needed to get out there and meet people.”