ALUMNI PROFILE – HANNAH PUGH 

We recently heard from Hannah Pugh, student at Richmond School between 2005 and 2010. It’s always fantastic to hear from members of our ‘Alumni and Friends’ community and to find out about their journeys since they left. Their stories often provide inspiration for our current students, giving them an insight into life after school and the many different routes that exist into a huge variety of careers. Hannah’s story is no exception – read on to find out more! 

RS: Describe your time at and some of your memories of school. 

HP: Richmond School was a great time for me—I was there from 2005 to 2010, which probably makes me ancient to today’s students! I have some brilliant memories of hanging out in the music hall, singing with friends while they played guitar. I was also really into sports and spent a lot of time outside playing hockey, basketball, and competing in athletics. I even held the 100m hurdles record for a bit, which led me to compete at county level. 

Academics, though? Not really my thing. I didn’t see myself as especially smart, and I struggled in a lot of classes. Instead, I ended up being the class clown, which was fun but didn’t exactly help my results come end of Year 11. That said, there were a few subjects I really enjoyed—like Classical Civilisation and Science – I loved any experiments we had to do. 

The school trips were big highlights for me too. I still remember our Year 7 trip to France and our Year 10 trip to Rome—those experiences will stay with me forever. As for teachers, Mrs. Garnett, my Head of Year, was someone I looked up to—she was funny but firm. And Mr. Stephenson, my maths teacher, deserves a medal for not giving up on me, even though maths and I didn’t get along at all. 

RS: What did you do straight after Richmond School?  

HP: After finishing school, I initially enrolled at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, where I chose to study four A-Levels as part of my path towards further education. However, within the first month, I quickly realized that this learning environment wasn’t right for me and I struggled to decide whether to stay and push through or seek a better fit. After some consideration, I made the choice to transfer to Middlesbrough College and pursue a BTEC in Forensic Science, which turned out to be the best decision for me. This experience taught me that decisions aren’t always set in stone and it’s okay to explore other options if something isn’t working. I successfully earned a Level 3 BTEC in Forensic Science, along with an A-Level in Psychology, which gave me enough UCAS points to move on to university.   

RS: What did you do next? 

HP: After leaving college, I realized that a career in forensic science wasn’t for me, so I decided to pursue something I was passionate about at the time: make-up artistry. I enrolled at Newcastle College and earned a City & Guilds qualification in make-up artistry. While studying, I worked at Benefit and after qualifying, I joined MAC. However, over time, I discovered that working in the beauty industry wasn’t as fulfilling as I had expected and I began exploring other career paths. 

It’s often said that you should know what you want to do when you leave school, but I’ve found that’s not always the case. I trained in various fields and through different experiences, I eventually discovered that my true passion was in events management. At 24, I decided to start university, which some might consider late, but for me, it was the perfect time. By then, I had gained valuable life experience and a clear understanding of my interests, which allowed me to make the most of my education. I graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a 2:1 in International Events Management and have been building experience in the field ever since. 

Along the way, I’ve also earned an IOSH certificate, a TEFL/TESOL certification and a qualification in project management (APM). I believe learning never stops, and I’m committed to continuing my education and expanding my expertise in my chosen field. 

RS: What are you doing now?  

HP: I’m currently working as an Events & Customer Service Officer at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), which is part of the University of Sheffield. I also have a side gig as an event steward, where I get to work at events, music concerts, band tours, comedy shows, ice hockey games, and more! 

At the AMRC, my main responsibilities involve organizing events, coordinating logistics and working closely with external partners. I also manage tour hosts, take meeting minutes, keep visitor information up-to-date and make sure health and safety regulations are followed. 

In my stewarding role, I help with pre-event checks, manage crowd flow, oversee entry and exit points and monitor restricted areas. I also make sure customer care standards are high and handle any disturbances or incidents that come up. 

RS: What are your plans for the future?  

HP: In the near future, I’m focused on growing my skills in event management and taking on new projects to keep learning and improving. Down the line, I’d love to share what I’ve learned by helping others get into the field, whether that’s through mentoring or teaching best practices. My goal is to not only become great at what I do but also to build a community of skilled event managers who can create amazing experiences together. 

Thank you very much to Hannah for taking the time to answer our questions in so much detail and for giving us an insight into a not-entirely-typical path to what sounds like a fascinating career.