Jacqui Bealing, Chief University Writer in the Communications, Engagement and Advancement Division, studied at Sussex and then later joined as our first Press Officer. Jacqui tells us about her favourite aspects of her role and what she loves about life at Sussex.
It sounds horribly pretentious to say this, but I always wanted to be a writer. One of my distinct memories of infant school was when my form teacher read out to the class a story I’d written about a breakout from a toy shop. This shows the importance of early endorsement and praise in education, as I had penned my first (unpublished) novel by the age of ten. In my late teens, however, another teacher told me that writing fiction was not a realistic career aspiration, so I became a journalist. I now have a creaking virtual library of (unpublished, likely unpublishable) novels on my laptop.
I work with teams across the University to support their writing needs. I draft speeches for speakers at graduation and other key events; I interview and write about students, staff and alumni for various Sussex publications; I create written content on aspects of the University’s research and history for internal and external audiences. Without a doubt, my favourite part of the job is meeting people in our community – from inspiring young students, who are far more articulate than my own generation, to the notable individuals whom we select to receive honorary degrees at our graduation ceremonies. I am in awe of what they have achieved, which is almost always accompanied on their part by a refreshing humility.
I was a student at Sussex in the 1980s and became the University’s first Press Officer (after a long spell in journalism) at the beginning of this century so I have a fairly broad knowledge of the University’s life and history. But when I created Sussex in 60 Objects, for our 60th anniversary a few years ago, I learned so much more, such as the story behind the “lost” stone turtles by Arts A pond, and why students used to colour their milk blue!
Even after all these years, I still feel a thrill when I come onto campus. I have grown to love the Basil Spence architecture – the combination of circles and straight lines, the flashes of flint, the internal brick walls and the flow between the inside and the outside. Nothing is quite as it seems – and that goes for our community too. Conversations often go in delightfully unexpected directions. I would struggle to name a single favourite place, but striding along the Boundary Walk is always revitalising.
I feel inspired by anyone who has shown great courage, humanity and resilience. I find that my children, now both in their 20s and pursuing their dream jobs, have shown me the importance of self-belief. It’s something I wish I’d had at their age. In terms of writers, I remember being completely mesmerised by the works of Virginia Woolf. I have held her diaries and manuscripts, which are part of our Special Collections in The Keep, and I have eaten apples in her garden in Rodmell, hoping that some of her spirit may inhabit me.