June 21st - Úna-Minh Kavanagh (BA Gaeilge agus Iriseoireacht, 2012)

What are your recollections of campus life when you were a student? 

"I adored student life in DCU. I lived onsite in Hampstead Apartments in the Glasnevin campus for all three years of my course and having easy access to the gym, the library, the hub and all my lecture buildings was incredibly convenient. It was like a small community, a welcome bubble that wasn’t too far from the city centre."

What’s your favourite memory of your time as a DCU student? 

"Being amongst such a diverse group of people on campus. My course was small at the time with around 13 students and naturally we became very close. There were so many nationalities from all backgrounds in DCU and I love the atmosphere it fostered. DCU is also where I met my partner Pádhraic, a fellow college alumnus who did Applied Physics and is now mathematics lecturer in another university. We’ve been together 10 years and met in my second year in DCU in the famous NuBar!"

What is your current role? 

"I am currently self employed working as a Multimedia Content Creator, Travel Writer, Author and Journalist."

My current role involves: 

"As I’m a freelancer, my job is incredibly varied, and I make my own hours. Right now, I’m a full-time content creator. I create monthly videos on YouTube for patrons over on Patreon, I live-stream on Twitch.tv/yunitex in the Irish language and English and I work as a copywriter, journalist and a travel writer. I published my first book Anseo in 2019 and run WeAreIrish.ie, a website that shares uplifting and positive news about Irish people at home and abroad."

Provide a brief summary of your career since graduating? 

"Before I graduated, I was invited by Mark Little to intern at his company Storyful, from there I worked as JustEat.ie’s Content Editor before moving onto WorldIrish.com (now Irish Central) as a full-time community journalist. I worked in WorldIrish in my final year until 2013. 

I then moved on to work as a Staff Writer with Her.ie and took a career break to pursue culinary arts in Ballymaloe Cookery School. Following that I worked as a Digital Content Manager and then took the leap to go freelance. I’ve worked in the newsroom with Lonely Planet, with TG4, 256 Content (Discover Ireland/Fáilte Ireland), Fórsa Trade Union, Culture Night and many more."

Career highlights or achievements you would like to share? 

"In 2017, I was named Social Activist of the Year at the U Magazine 30 Under 30 Awards following on my project We Are Irish, a social media campaign that challenged diversity within the Irish media.

In late 2019, I published my memoir Anseo (New Island Books) which documents my story as growing up as a person of colour in nineties Ireland with the Irish language at her core. It goes through my childhood and adulthood as well as my time in DCU and beyond."

What are the key skills you learned at DCU that have influenced your career?

"I learned that you can’t just rely on the modules within a course to grow. I was encouraged by my peers and lecturers to make use of my spare time wise. While I was DCU I upskilled myself significantly and taught myself how to edit video and audio, I also worked on developing my contacts on social media, co-hosted shows on DCUfm and was the Deputy Irish Editor and Irish Editor of The College View."

What advice would you give to current DCU students?

"Make friends but become comfortable with being in your own company. Teach yourself during the week to get up early and make those lectures. It’s a privilege to be able to attend university. Treat university like it’s a job (but of course have fun!) and upskill while you’re there. There are so many opportunities outside of your lectures. Grab them! Those are the foundations to a good work ethic. But don’t over do it! It’s OK to not go out on the weekends or on Toxic Tuesday (as it was when I was in college) but don’t give out to yourself up for going out and having fun. It’s all about balance."