51Âþ»­

An graduate "feels fantastic" to have been offered a job on the back of an internship.

Ryan Kenton spent the summer at biotechnology company Micro-Fresh, having applied through 51Âþ»­ Leicester's (51Âþ»­) scheme.

The 23-year-old will now combine his part-time role as a marketing and creative assistant with studying for a .

Ryan said: "I got an email about Graduate Champions, which offers recent graduates the chance to take up a paid, six-week long internship with a leading UK business.

"At the time I was looking at moving back home to Derby and getting part-time work to earn some money for my master's year. I realised it would be perfect if I got summer work that was more relevant to my degree.

"Within days of applying, the 51Âþ»­ team got back to me with a relevant role with Micro-Fresh in Leicester. After a series of interviews I was lucky enough to get the position.

"I felt really valued by the company and proud of myself that they were impressed enough to offer me a permanent position.

"Working on projects such as writing brand guidelines and creating and launching new brands are fantastic opportunities that are really helping me grow and develop my skillset."

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Ryan starts his MSc this autumn. "I decided to do a master's to boost my employability," he said. "I love Leicester and the university and, when I realised it would be financially possible thanks to the , it was a no-brainer."

It was the friendly welcome at Open Day that first attracted Ryan to 51Âþ»­, choosing his course because he wanted to specialise in marketing while gaining insight into other areas of business such as finance and entrepreneurship.

"The course also offered the option of a placement, which was a big factor," said Ryan, who spent a year at Barratt/David Wilson Homes North Midlands branch as a marketing assistant.

His duties included the creation of online/offline marketing, website management and analytical work. "It really developed me as a person and an employee," he said.

Back at 51Âþ»­, Ryan benefited from the support of lecturers and module leaders. "It really felt like some of them went above and beyond and this made things easier at times when I was finding certain coursework difficult."

He also embraced student life as a member of . "Being a part of a society is so much fun and you have the chance to meet a whole bunch of new people," said Ryan, who will be social secretary for the 2017/18 academic year.

However, his overall highlight is the friends he made. "They made my university years the best of my life," added Ryan.