Maeve makes front page news!

FORMER SJD student Maeve McClenaghan has been making headlines in The Independent newspaper.

Maeve, who studied at Sir John Deane’s College and is now working at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has been working on stories looking at parliamentary access, lobbying and MPs’ financial backing.

Her recent article was published on the front page of The Independent on Thursday, December 15 and can be seen online at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lobbying-calls-for-transparency-over-former-mps-access-to-parliament-6277136.html?origin=internalSearch

Maeve’s mum Roisin Dunn, who is an assistant principal at SJD, said she was very proud.

“Maeve has researched a couple of big stories used in the Guardian and Times but this was her first front page by-line,” she said.

Maeve studied A Level English Literature, History, Spanish, Theatre Studies and General Studies and left SJD in 2003.

Speaking about her time at college, she said: “SJD certainly influenced me and really prepared me well for the challenges of university, it was a great stepping stone from high school to university life.

“The wonderful Mrs Darby was my form tutor there. She was incredibly supportive and really encouraged me to aim high and work hard. Spanish classes with Ms Vitti were a real highlight and definitely set me up well for my travels, as since college I have studied in Spain and Costa Rica and worked for Amnesty International in Chile.

“I also found Sue Harding’s English Literature classes challenging me to think outside the box, question my assumptions and carefully analyse texts, all skills I use day to day when researching articles. And Chris Spring’s Theatre Studies classes were a great influence – and I have continued to enjoy drama ever since.”

Currently living in London Maeve has just returned from Barbados where she interned for a short time as a journalist at the national online paper Barbados TODAY. Before that she was in Costa Rica where she studied an MA in International Law and Human Rights.

She has also kept up her interest in acting and has appeared in shows in Nottingham, London and the Edinburgh festival!

Maeve added: “The main thing I got from SJD was the confidence to know I could immerse myself in new challenges, with new groups of people and still succeed. I am just starting out in journalism but thanks to SJD I have the skills and confidence to keep going.”