Dejeana Williams

Media & Communication (Journalism) - BA (Hons)

Dejeana  has quite literally taken the phrase ‘the world is your oyster’ and made it a reality. Travelling thousands of miles away from her home in Turks and Caicos,  Dejeana is now studying journalism at Birmingham City University. During her time on the course, she has been able to partake in an overseas trip to Italy and successfully take on the role of university co-host for Scratch TV’s weekly show.

“Journalism has been my passion since I was a teenager, however, I knew that if I wanted to pursue my career as a journalist, I would need to travel thousands of miles away from my family and friends to get closer to my dreams. I come from The Turks and Caicos Islands – a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean where the population is under 50,000, meaning that my career options were limited. Just a few days before the UCAS deadline I came across the BCU website and quickly made a decision to apply, and it was the best choice I’ve made.

The biggest challenge I faced was when my application for scholarship funding was denied twice by The Turks and Caicos Government due to my chosen subject of study being considered unbeneficial to the country’s economic growth. I wasn’t ready to give up and my dream of becoming a journalist was put on hold while I was working for a year in order to be able to fund the studies myself.

From the moment I arrived at BCU, there has been plenty of support for me. Both tutors and student mentors made everyone who was new feel welcomed. I was sent a welcome package along with other emails that really prepared me for my first week at university and made the whole experience enjoyable. I love how safe I feel here and how quickly I fitted in to the BCU community.

I could not have imagined that during my course I would be able to make so many connections with media professionals. I had an amazing opportunity to attend the International Journalism Festival in Italy through my hard work at BCU. It is important for me to get involved in activities that can benefit my personal growth as a journalist, so after a successful audition I am now a co-host for Scratch TV on their weekly live shows.

BCU really helps you to progress within the media sector by inviting industry guests and organising workshops where you can gain valuable tips. The tutors have an individual approach to every student and they never let you give up if they see you struggling.

BCU has transformed my character from a shy and antisocial girl into a confident and self-reliant person. With the help from tutors I’ve realised what my potential is and what I need to do to get closer to my dream job.

By the time I graduate, I want to make sure I’ve made the most of my time here. I want to leave with a wealth of experience and useful contacts. I know that the experience here as a media student is shaping me into a better person, giving me a wide range of transferable skills I can take with me into employment.

To me ‘I AM BCU’ means being bold and being confident.”