Lucy Aldous, 2007

Lucy Aldous read Classics at Clare. She is now a Deputy Director in the Cabinet Office.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

Clare provided an amazing community brimming with creativity and curiosity. My fellow students inspired me every day. But so too did the Porters who cheerily kept us going through the tough times; the gardeners and housekeepers who maintained the beautiful grounds and the choristers whose melodious sounds could be heard echoing around the college walls. It's a proper community that supports and inspires all within in. 

Lucy's Story

 A particularly memorable moment was my arrival on day one. Waving my family goodbye I turned to meet my fellow Freshers in the JCR. Immediately I knew that I was in the midst of an intellectual powerhouse that that would compel my brain towards new ways of thinking. Suddenly I was rubbing shoulders with people that had seen so much, done so much, knew so much more than me. I felt like a country bumpkin. However, none of this mattered in the end and I forged friendships at Clare that will last a lifetime. 

I am sure that at the time the pressures of exams, essays and getting to grips with being a proper adult were tiresome. But looking back they feel like halcyon days. Long summer afternoons punting along the river Cam, frosty winter mornings charging across town to a supervision held in the maze of another College, and May Balls; a flurried mix of excitement and relief that term was over, coupled with sadness to be leaving for the summer.

Studying at Clare led me, in a roundabout way, to a career in public policy where my role is to question, debate and take decisions on issues that matter to the public. My tutors encouraged me to never settle for a first answer and for that I am grateful. Being taught in small groups, by world class experts, helped me to build my confidence and find my voice over time. My career since has taken me to the heart of Whitehall and overseas with the Foreign Office. Without doubt Clare afforded me the courage and curiosity to take those leaps. 

Yes, the names Clare College, and Cambridge University, provide you with a strong starting point in forging a career of any kind. But it's the people, the place and the stories that I took with me that I will never forget.