National Careers Week 2025 has seen the welcome return of the popular ‘Girls Like You’ series of assemblies, where the whole senior school hears from alumnae about their experiences and careers since leaving PHS.
Olivia Cross, Class of 2020, a Computer Gaming Level Designer with Lighthouse Games, encouraged the girls to consider career paths that play to their strengths and interests. Olivia took A Levels in mathematics, art and computer science at Portsmouth High School and these subjects have worked together well to prepare her for her degree and her role in gaming. ‘Work towards something you love,’ she advised the girls; ‘Believe in yourself and your work and don’t be afraid to take on a challenge.’
Bianca Nilssen Class of 2016, returned as a now qualified Associate at Lewis Silkin where she is an Employment Lawyer. Bianca spoke of how her time at Portsmouth High School had prepared her well for taking initiative and responsibility for her own tasks and achievements and had prepared her well for the fast pace of life in law. ‘My time at PHS stood me in really good stead for my work as a solicitor,’ she said.
Thalia Burke, Class of 2022 spoke on the importance of making the right decision for yourself regardless of what your friends are doing. Thalia decided to forego her place at Manchester University in favour of a full-time job as a Sailing Instructor and Outreach and Communications Co-ordinator with Andrew Simpson Centres and Portsmouth Sailing School Trust. Thalia acknowledged that the Open University Psychology Degree that she is doing part-time alongside working provides her with a different university experience, but she was never really attracted to the idea of university life and university debt. She is thriving in the best of both worlds, furthering her interests and following her career. ‘I love the variability of my job. I never get bored; one day I might be out on the water and in the office doing the marketing the next,’ she said. ‘PHS taught me the confidence in myself to make the decisions right for me.’
Emily John, Class of 2021, also followed an alternative path with her Degree Apprenticeship with Hampshire Constabulary. Emily had applied for university-based degree courses in policing but preferred to follow the apprenticeship route which allowed her to earn and learn at the same time. ‘The High School is definitely responsible for shaping me as a person,’ she said. ‘PHS built my resilience and taught me that if you work hard you can achieve great things.’
And Jess Norris, Class of 2020, is a physiotherapist in Portsmouth having completed her degree and training at the University of Nottingham. ‘I wanted to give people the chance to regain their confidence and independence,’ she said about her career. ‘Being part of Sixth Form was such a close knit group and the time gave me so many opportunities from bonding trips to a Barbados sports tour. This was a time to develop communication skills; from being part of a sports team to being in a band and so many leadership opportunities from House Captains to Head Girl team. All of these stood me in such good stead for my career now.’
‘The message from all our speakers is that they were once here at PHS and had very similar educations and opportunities to the current cohorts and that it does not matter,’ said Head of Careers, Mrs Sammy Davies. ‘If you do not know what you want to do yet, just keep taking opportunities and seeing where they take you. We will watch with interest and look forward to hearing from our current pupils about their careers in due course.’
Head, Mrs Sarah Parker, added:
‘National Careers Week is a fantastic opportunity for our students to hear firsthand from our alumnae about the diverse and exciting career paths they have taken. The ‘Girls Like You’ series of assemblies is a highlight of the week, showcasing the incredible achievements of our former students and inspiring the current cohorts to pursue their passions and dreams. At Portsmouth High School, we are committed to providing our students with the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to succeed in whatever path they choose. We are immensely proud of our alumnae and look forward to seeing our current students follow in their footsteps and make their own mark on the world.’
