Judith will be attending her virtual graduation celebration from Saudi Arabia where she is currently working with events company Cube International to develop major sporting events in this region including the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix now scheduled now for November/December 2021.
An experienced events consultant, Judith grew up in Annalong, Co.Down but now lives in Lisburn with her family. Judith has worked on numerous major events in Northern Ireland including the Belfast International Arts Festival, the North West 200, the Giro d’Italia Gran Fondo and UEFA Women’s Under 19s European Championship. For the past two years she has been working closely with the World Rally Championship to bring a round of the event to Northern Ireland in 2021.
Encouraged to consider the course by Frances Devine and Nicky McQuillan from the Ulster team, Judith found it was the perfect fit:
“The modules were completely relevant to my work so it was an easy choice. I loved the atmosphere in the Belfast campus too. There was always a real sense of what I can only describe as possibility in the air.”
Judith balanced part time study with her busy work and home life. Being self-employed allowed for some flexibility and helped Judith organise her time as and when her study and work schedules necessitated.
“It was challenging at times as my fulltime work can prove quite intense. The subject matter usually aligned with my work projects though, so one often assisted the other. This made it interesting and enjoyable for me, which was a great motivator. I also had to balance family life too so usually I studied in the evenings after my daughter went to bed or allocated myself ‘study days’ and managed them with the same discipline I would apply during a working day.”
For Judith, the highlight of her time at Ulster has been the ‘quiet personal gains.’
“I loved being back in a learning environment. Striving and achieving my MSc with Distinction still makes me smile because I know I put my mind to it and worked hard to get it. It has imbued me with confidence in my work. The imposter syndrome has diminished!”