Name
Alice Motion
Graduation Year
2018
Subject of study
Law LLB
Job Title
Policy Officer
Organisation
Age Scotland, About Dementia
Why did you choose to study at Royal Holloway?
Having grown up and spent my whole life in Edinburgh, Scotland I chose move away to study at Royal Holloway in order to expand my horizons and push myself to become more independent. As I came from the Scottish schooling system I was 17 years old when I began my undergraduate in Law. While it was a daunting experience I am so glad I took the leap and was able to get great support from staff and peers.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
I most enjoyed the close one to one relationships with professors that I was able to build up over the 3 years of the course. In my last year, the tutor/pupil relationships emphasised the importance of mutual respect and understanding. Working with tutors as equals allowed me to feel valued and gave me the confidence to back myself in seminars and lectures if rich discussion ensued.
How did Royal Holloway help you to discover opportunities and prepare you for life after university / to find your purpose in life?
Royal Holloway allowed me to not only grown my academic skills, but my social and communication skills. By taking part in extracurricular actives such as sports or Law related external events I was able to grow into a well rounded individual. It taught me the importance of hard and honest work, but also taught me how to manage a healthy work/life balance while still achieving my goals. While a full-time student, I also worked every event night (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) at the Students Union as security staff. I eventually worked my way up to Security Supervisor. Working 7pm-7am, managing lectures, and managing sports training throughout the week was a challenge at times but it taught me great time management. I was able to have a great university experience while also being a dedicated student.
Please tell us about your career journey since graduating and what you are doing now.
When I first left university, my ambition was to join the Army as a Military Lawyer. In my third year, a considerable amount of time was put into my application for that and I was well supported and encouraged by peers and tutors. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful and I felt lost as it had been my goal for the majority of my second and third year. I moved back to Edinburgh in November 2018, and ended up working in Hospitality for 2.5 years. I remember this time period being very difficult in terms of managing expectation. Often being asked by others why I hadn't used my degree yet and what my 'big plan' was. Looking back, having graduated at 21 years old, I would encourage and reassure my younger self that I have plenty of time and it would work out. In January 2021, I decided I would like more meaningful work and I joined the Third Sector. I started working in Administration for Care and Repair Edinburgh which is a charity that work to keep older people at home for as long as possible. This job set me on the trajectory of helping older people that I am now on. While in this role, I began volunteering at an exercise class for older people living with dementia. I realised this was a cause close to my heart so in April 2022 I moved to Age Scotland's Dementia Team as an Administrator. It is important again to note that while I enjoyed these roles, I still felt immense guilt about not using my degree directly. In August 2022, the Policy Officer in Age Scotland's Dementia team resigned. I was encouraged by my team to apply for the role. In September 2022, I was offered the role full time and came into my current role. In my role as Age Scotland's Dementia Policy Officer, I read over the legislation and proposed legislation or government documents related to dementia in Scotland. I then speak directly with people living with dementia and unpaid carers about their fews on this legislation and present my findings to the Scottish Government via consultation responses and meeting with the Scottish Government Dementia Policy Unit.
What advice would you give to students thinking about a career in your sector?
I would encourage everyone to get involved with the third sector at a voluntary level. It is what helped me secure all of my office jobs. It is also very good for my own mental health and wellbeing. In terms of full time work in the third sector, I would strongly encourage anyone to join. As someone who didn't feel confident that career in law was for me I have found it a great alternative. I was able to build up office working skills as an administrator but then did my own learning about other areas of Age Scotland to then find my passion for dementia. I would also say stay flexible and know that as long as you put in work, things will work out one way or another. What you want isn't always what you need and there is a lesson to be learnt at every step.
What is your greatest professional achievement to date?
In September 2022, we were approached by the Scottish Government and asked to engage on their behalf with people living with dementia and unpaid carers towards a new National Dementia Strategy. In Scotland, Dementia is a public health priority and it is a very key and progressive area of policy in Scotland. Throughout October to December, I travelled across the country speaking with people and noting their experience. In December 2022, I wrote and submitted a 60 page, 24,000 word response to the Scottish Government about what needs to change in Scotland to better the lives of people living with dementia in Scotland. In May 2023, the Scottish Government published their new National Dementia Strategy. It was ground-breaking in its approach, with the voice lived experience throughout. I have been praised directly and by many external organisations for my work on this Strategy. Without myself and a colleague, it would not be in existence to the same and progressive level. I now work closely with the Scottish Government, and have even met with Politicians in Denmark who have heard of my work and want to learn from it.
When you started at Royal Holloway, did you have a strong sense/ ambition of what you wanted to get from your time at university? What was special about Royal Holloway that helped you achieve this?
Royal Holloway is a smaller university. I remember attending other open days where class and year sizes were 300-400 people. It didn't feel person centred and I felt that I would get lost in a sea of students. With Royal Holloway, the class sizes were much smaller and much more personal. It allowed me to build a strong bond with peers and tutors. I felt supported throughout my degree.
