Sue M. Walton

BSc Environmental Conservation

'I have always had a personal commitment to the environment and conservation, and Birkbeck offered me the ideal opportunity to further that interest while still working full-time.

'Taking a combined sciences degree, I got the opportunity to experience both the Geography and Biology departments, meeting and working with students from very different disciplines. I was very impressed by the course unit on Coastal Processes and decided that was what I wanted to work on for my dissertation. It was a hard slog, lots of long hours sieving beach sediment in the lab, but I got a great deal of support from the Geography department, and I enjoyed every minute.

'My ultimate aim was to gain a formal qualification to give me the opportunity to change career paths. I'm pleased to say that I am about to take up the role of Chief Executive of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. I couldn't have done it without Birkbeck.'