A former Bedford paper girl who spent her early mornings cycling through Putnoe delivering newspapers has graduated with First-Class Honours and a top university award.
Sophie, who previously completed work experience and a summer placement with Progress Publishing for the Bedford Independent, has earned her Media Communication Culture BA(Hons) degree from Leeds Beckett University.
Alongside her first-class degree, she was awarded the Dean’s Award for academic excellence after receiving the highest dissertation score across media-related courses.
Her passion for news began at the age of 13 during a local delivery route.
Sophie said: “The cold, rainy mornings riding on my bike around Putnoe were long, but it wasn’t just the money that made it worth it. I was often late finishing my round because I wanted to have a sneak peek of the stories inside and said, ‘One day I want to write in these.’
“Later, in Year 5, I joined the school newspaper and wrote my very first story about Pablo Picasso. I then continued onto sixth form, where I did my first placement at Bedford Independent, which I then followed by setting up my own newspaper at school.
“Since then, I have loved every word I have written for Bedford Independent; every university project I did was focused on journalism and every other project I have done alongside my studies. And now I am very much on the path to do what I love for a living.”
Immensely proud
Paul Hutchinson, news editor of the Bedford Independent and co-owner of Progress Publishing, praised her dedication to authentic local reporting.
He said: “We are immensely proud of everything Sophie has achieved. Graduating with First Class Honours is brilliant enough on its own, but winning the Dean’s Award for the best dissertation in media is a phenomenal milestone.
“Knowing her work ethic and drive, it comes as no surprise to any of us.
“During her time on placement with us, Sophie showed the natural instincts of a proper reporter. She has a genuine tenacity for chasing down real stories and cutting straight through the PR spin.
“Her work launching our ‘Bedford women who mean business’ series showed incredible maturity.
“She understands what proper local journalism is all about, which is giving a voice to real people and focusing on stories that truly matter to the community.
“Sophie has an exceptionally bright future ahead of her in journalism. She has earned every bit of this success, and we will all be cheering her on as she takes these next big steps in her career.”
Driven by a desire to give a voice to underrepresented communities, Sophie explained that her entry into journalism stems from a curiosity to inform local people and challenge injustice.
Read: Bedford women who mean business: Finishing the series and starting my journey
Supporting those who need a voice
Sophie said: “I have always enjoyed writing and finding out information; I have always been inquisitive. Having such a variety of stories sitting in an inbox waiting for me to dive into really excites me; I am not someone made for mundane, repetitive workdays.
“However, a main driver for journalism was to give those who need to be heard a voice. In situations of injustice or more silenced communities, I want to spread awareness and project the voices in society that need to be heard.
“I also care a great deal for people, and informing people of what’s really important and being a reliable source of information is something I aim to achieve as I progress.”
She added that while she holds a specific interest in crime journalism for its public interest value, she remains open to covering a range of topics, but would prefer to steer clear of gossip and politics.
Having returned to Bedford to be closer to friends and family, Sophie is currently pursuing freelance journalism and content creation opportunities alongside part-time work, while considering further postgraduate study focused on journalism research.
