Ben Cropper

Freelance Sports Reporter

I feel that the holistic nature of the student support offered at Leeds Trinity places students in the best possible position to thrive no matter what future awaits them.

Choosing Leeds Trinity

Leeds Trinity gave me the impetus to seize every opportunity I’m offered and place in the highest regard the professional connections you make. My fondest memories come from the simplest of interactions, something which was also true of my student experience in LS18.

I’m Leeds born and bred so continuing my education in the city was important to me. The community feel of Leeds Trinity University College (as it was known at the time) gave me a warm welcoming feel. The proximity of the Horsforth Campus to my family home in west Leeds meant that by living on campus, I felt empowered to strive for independence, knowing that my family were on hand when needed.

Valuable placements

My placements were probably the most valuable academic experiences of my course. They gave me a real insight into the reality of working as a journalist. I spent five weeks working on a freelance basis, from my halls, on the now defunct Rugby Times news desk. This experience proved invaluable, particularly as Jon Newcombe, Editor at the time - still acts a professional mentor to me. Our relationship now expands beyond rugby, and he remains a primary referee whenever I apply for new employment. My final week was spent working with the Leeds Rugby Media Team, based out of Headingley Stadium. This was pretty much a dream come true as I’d regularly watched both codes of rugby there for many years.

It was also something I organised off my own back, at a time when they weren’t routinely accepting student placements. It was great to finally get the approval and see that gamble pay off. During both placements, I was able to have my work published getting several lead stories at each organisation, examples of which still form part of my professional portfolio to this day.

Great opportunities through my studies

The best thing about my course was the continuous links to active high-profile professionals. I’m glad to see Journalism and Media Week is still in full swing. It’s something I look out for every year as part of my continuous professional development. As a student, it became apparent at the earliest possible stage that networking was going to be key to my success. Even now, I’m still in regular contact with some of the people I met during those weeks.

Leaving University with new skills

I firmly believe that assembling key life skills and making a smooth transition into adulthood is equally as important to the course content itself. I feel that the holistic nature of the student support offered at Leeds Trinity places students in the best possible position to thrive no matter what future awaits them.

Obviously, the professional connections made and the academic study are things you can always come back to, but having the fundamental principles of maturity and independence will be beneficial when it comes to looking back on your career. I also left Leeds Trinity with a deeper awareness of the Catholic tradition and the significant role that faith was to play in my adult life. I must give an honourable mention to Father Paul Grogan (now Monsignor), who has been steadfast in his spiritual guidance, hence why I shoes him to officiate my wedding.

My career since graduating

As with most of my fellow Sports Journalism graduates (class of 2012), I don’t think my career has flourished in a traditional sense. A lot of this has been down to external factors which could not have been foreseen during my time at Leeds Trinity. Nonetheless, my ability to turn, what was previously a passion project, into the beginnings of a freelance profession, has proved transformative.

I will be forever grateful to Leeds Trinity for giving me the confidence to persist in a highly competitive industry. It's hard to pick out specific highlights from the many and varied things I have done so far. However, obtaining internships at both the Daily Telegraph (the picture above is of me with Daily Telegraph Disability Sport Correspondent, Gareth A Davies) and The Guardian, which each involved spending time in London working alongside journalists I had admired from afar, were high points.

Whilst being key moments in my professional life, each major placement has taught me key things about what I do and don’t want out of my career. It remains my career goal to set up a not-for-profit organisation to facilitate disabled and disadvantaged people into media-related careers. This altruistic driver was homed and nurtured during my time at Trinity, where I really bought into the Catholic ethos of the University.

My advice to prospective students thinking about doing a similar course

If you are looking at applying for a Sports Journalism course, then I would strongly urge you to make Leeds Trinity one of your primary choices. The academic staff take time to get to know you as an individual and offer timely and all-encompassing advice. Add to that the unique community feel of a Leeds Trinity Campus and I believe you’ve got the perfect recipe to take real and lasting control of your career.