James S
Academic Qualifications
University College London (UCL) – London, United Kingdom MSc International Public Policy (Completion: 09/2019)
University of Glasgow – Glasgow, United Kingdom
First Class MA (Honours) in Politics and Economics
Adam Smith Scholar Award of Excellence & Glasgow Global Citizens’ Award (Gold)
University of Queensland – Brisbane, Australia
Study Abroad Ambassador
Presented to students interested in exchange opportunities and served as point of information
Edward and Mary Scholarship
The Kiski School – Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
Full year scholarship to take university-level classes
Played competitive football with the option of accepting athletic scholarships to attend US universities
Zachary J. Vlahos Award for History and Political Science
Vienna Bilingual School Draschestrasse – Vienna, Austria
1.00 (“Pass with Distinction”)
Teaching Experience
Love Learning Tutors
GCSE: Economics, Politics, German, History
A-Level: Government and Politics, Economics, German
Private Tutor – Vienna, Austria
- Provided tailored lessons and tutoring in English, German, Maths and History to students from various educational backgrounds
- Understood the importance of explaining concepts to match students’ ability and understanding
- Helped to develop revision techniques to encourage ongoing improvement beyond learning sessions
Work experience
Parliamentary Intern
Scottish Parliament – Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Internship with Maurice Golden MSP, Conservative Party’s Chief Whip and Business Manager
Political research for speeches relating to variety of issues including EU Withdrawal Bill, Scotland’s incineration capacity and constituency matters
Drafted motions and press releases for local and national newspapers
Assisted the MSP during meetings with external stakeholders while displaying high level of discretion
Youth Diplomat
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) – Naypyidaw/Yangon, Myanmar
Head of Delegation at Youth Conference held in conjunction with 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Managed delegation across three countries in producing four policy briefs, setting internal deadlines and overseeing cooperation between delegates
Responsible for making interventions during drafting of Joint Statement; enhanced negotiating and consensus-building skills
Commonwealth Youth Leader
Common Purpose Leadership Programme – Singapore
Programme designed to equip participants with cross-cultural leadership skills
Visited range of Singaporean businesses facing global challenges
Developed social enterprise – an initiative to alleviate old-age loneliness – that was presented to PwC associates and Singaporean MP
Head of News Production
Glasgow University Student Television – Glasgow, United Kingdom
Responsible for creating and overseeing all news content within Student TV, managing team of other student volunteers
Produced episode on £1billion campus redevelopment plan and headed panel discussion with key stakeholders, serving as an information point for all students interested in the process
Organised interview with Vladimir Posner on Russia-West relations
Intern Radio oe24 – Vienna, Austria
Internship at Vienna-based radio station covering all aspects of journalistic work
Attended press conferences and interviewed local politicians as part of my research tasks
Wrote factually correct, concise and engaging news stories for radio style presentation that were aired across the country
TEDx Speaker
TEDx University of Glasgow Conference – Glasgow, United Kingdom
Speech titled “The Value of Self-Reflection” at TEDx University of Glasgow Conference 2015
Demonstrated public speaking skills by engaging a large audience; has been viewed over 65,000 times online
SKILLS AND Interests
Languages
English and German (native)
Spanish and French (limited working proficiency)
Broadcast Journalism
Voice-over for documentary made by students and supervised by BBC associate on Emmaus, a UK based charity
Regularly presented news content on Student TV
Personal Statement
Born to English and Austrian parents in Vienna, I have always been keen to travel the world and study in as many places as possible. This led me to pursue higher education in the US, UK and Australia before deciding to settle in London where I am currently a postgraduate student in International Public Policy.
Good teachers and a real passion for the subjects they taught inspired me to follow this path. It is also what motivated me to tutor: seeing a student reach their potential and approach new challenges with real confidence is an incredibly rewarding experience. This is why I have enjoyed tutoring students of all abilities and educational backgrounds in the past six years.
As a personal tutor I understand the importance of finding stimulating ways to bring the material ‘to life’ and inspire a long-lasting interest in a subject. Creating engaging sessions that are tailored to a student’s personality – we all learn differently, after all – can inspire passion for a subject and improve grades drastically. As such I aim to produce an environment in which tutees feel comfortable to ask questions, make mistakes, challenge ideas and think independently to effectively engage with concepts and models. I have always felt that combining creativity with diligence and curiosity set the foundation for being successful in school and beyond. My goal is therefore to help students understand their subject in greater depth and develop revision techniques that encourage improvement beyond learning sessions.