Patrick (BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 2019) is a facilitator and published author with a background in youth work, social justice advocacy and safeguarding. As well as his degree from Warwick, he holds an MSc in Sociology from the University of Bristol, where he completed his research thesis on a thematic analysis of UK Drill music.

He's currently enjoying his role as an analyst for criminal justice consultancy, Crest Advisory.

Why did you choose to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)?
It was a mix of things really. I wanted to study a broad degree and was originally very interested in Economics. When I was 17, I was doing community youth work. At an event, I was discussing how I was considering Economics as my degree and someone suggested PPE. It really got me thinking as it wasn’t something I’d considered before.

Why did you choose to study at Warwick?
Apart from Warwick being one of the best universities in the country? I also attended the Warwick Summer School after my first year of A Levels. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a week on campus, attending classes and seminars, and getting to know the University. From that, I knew I really liked it here.

What did you most enjoy about Warwick?
The spaces that Warwick lets you have access to. I built friendships, not just with the other students on my course, but on campus in different common rooms. It allowed me to meet such a broad range of fantastic people. That’s definitely one of the best takeaways from Warwick for me.

Tell us about your journey after graduating from Warwick.
After graduating, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I knew a Master’s degree was probably on the cards but wanted to save some money first. I headed to London and worked in a recruitment role from July 2019 until Covid hit in 2020. As for many, life was a little hectic for a while. I decided to apply for a Master’s degree in Sociology at the University of Bristol which I passed with first class honours. I finished that in 2021, then transitioned into my current role as an analyst for Crest Advisory, a criminal justice consultancy firm. It’s really fascinating work.

What’s important to you about what you do now?
Being ethical is the main thing for me. At every point in my work, I want to make sure I can stand by what I’m doing – whether now or in 20 years’ time. It’s easy to get ahead in this line of work without ethics. I want to make sure everything I do can be held up to scrutiny, so I don’t do anything I don’t believe in.

What have you taken from your degree and from Warwick into your career?
PPE is a really broad degree but that breadth of knowledge has made me really comfortable navigating a wide range of topics. This definitely applied well while I was studying my Master’s degree, and now to the work I do too. It‘s really helped to have a wide foundation of knowledge. The bigger the base, the taller the pyramid!
And Warwick also gave me mental resilience. It can be tough at times but it forces you to face challenges and come out of your comfort zone. I definitely grew because of it.

What’s next for you?
I’m really enjoying my current role. I’d like to transition more to the people side of the job. What we do in communities, looking at research, social justice, poverty alleviation, giving young people opportunities.

What advice would you share with anyone considering studying at Warwick?
Don’t just consider the course but look at the university as a whole. Not all your friends and experiences come from your course. A lot of my fantastic experiences also came from other areas of the University. Be open to the bigger picture.