Alum of the Month

Sarah Maund

Sarah Maund

December 2013

New York Program

March 2012 Intake


What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
I studied Criminology and Psychology at degree level and Psychology at Masters level at Sheffield Hallam University.

What made you apply for the Mountbatten programme?
My sister completed the programme in 2005 and I was fortunate enough to visit her while she was there. She seemed so happy. Her job and the friends she had made were amazing, and I quickly realised the career benefits that went hand in hand with the programme.

Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
My sponsor company was called Prospect Capital Corporation. It was a leading provider of flexible private debt and equity capital to sponsor-owned and non-sponsor-owned middle market companies. My role varied a great deal, from organising corporate dinners, business lunches and the annual company skiing trip to general PA duties such as calendar management and arranging travel. It was a very tough working environment and at first I wasn’t sure whether it was for me. However I eventually became more comfortable with the office dynamics.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
The highlight of my working experience throughout the year was probably the organisation and implementation of the annual skiing trip to Vermont. This is something the company had done for the previous 10 years. It was a chance for all employees to get out the office and away for the weekend. The weekend was perfectly executed and I was so grateful to be a part of it.

What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
There were so many, it’s hard to choose just one. I thoroughly enjoyed a weekend trip to the Jersey Shore with three of my friends. Halloween and Santacon were also huge highlights for me.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship.
During the internship I realised that my number one priority should always be to enjoy myself. When you have limited time the worst thing you can do is waste time dwelling on unimportant or unhappy things.

If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
I desperately wanted to go to Lancaster in Pennsylvania. We had arranged a weekend and were all set to hire a car. Unfortunately it snowed so heavily we weren’t able to drive down and there wasn’t another weekend my friends and I were all free. It was a huge disappointment for me; however it gives me the perfect excuse to go back.

What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
During the 6th month of the programme I became an aunt for the very first time. Therefore my only priority on my return to the UK was to spend time with my beautiful niece.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
I have recently been granted the opportunity to work for St James Homes and Property Developer. St James believes that leaders in business need to take responsibility for creating growth and improving our society, and not just leave it up to the social sector. With this in mind, St James North has developed a special relationship with The North London Hospice.
My role involves organising all fundraising Events, liaising with partner charities and turning employees fundraising ideas into reality. I am currently heading up a campaign to raise £30,500 to support a palliative care nurse for the whole of 2015. This will alleviate a lot of their financial strain, as in the Boroughs of Barnet and Enfield all the in-patient and day service hospice care and the end-of-life home care service is carried out by the hospice and not a partner charity such as Macmillan.

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
Along with two of my colleagues I plan on spending 5 days, next October, trekking across the Sahara Desert. By completing this challenge I aim to raise £2000 for this fantastic cause.

Is there any other information that you would like to be included?
If you would like any other information regarding our campaign or would like to donate/challenge yourself in order to raise money, then please contact me on the email provided. There are so many money raising opportunities and by sparing the time and putting in a little effort, you could help make someone’s last moments a little easier for them and their families.