51Âþ»­

Connall Pugh is graduating with a First-class Law degree and a job in wealth management after making the most of national and international opportunities at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­).

(Connall in New York with 51Âþ»­ Global)

The 23-year-old from Leicester said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out I’d got a First, I kept having to check the results again just to make sure!”

Connall will be celebrating his degree result with his parents and girlfriend by taking part in the online celebrations of the Class of 2020. In just two weeks’ time, he will be starting in his new role with an independent wealth management company based in Oadby.

He said: “I just feel ridiculously lucky to be walking into a career right after graduating from university, particularly considering the current climate.

“I managed to get the job in the pipeline before I’d even found out my results, which was a huge relief.”

Connall’s new role will involve a variety of things, focusing mainly on investment pensions and stocks and shares.

“I’ve always been interested in the financial side of law and how the financial sector operates,” he said. “Completing Bloomberg Trading training at 51Âþ»­ and being able to use the Bloomberg Suite there definitely solidified my career plans and helped me to get the job.”

Reminiscing over his time at university, Connall spoke about why he chose to study at 51Âþ»­.

“Initially I wanted to move away from home because I’m from Leicester, but when I looked at what other universities were offering, they just didn’t compare to 51Âþ»­,” he said.

“I wanted to go to a university that offered me extra opportunities to develop as an individual, and with things like the 51Âþ»­ Global trips, volunteering with 51Âþ»­ Local and De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU), it made it an easy decision.

“51Âþ»­ offers so much on top of the degree, and it’s those added extras that really set you apart when it comes to looking for jobs.”

Those additional opportunities proved to be the most memorable parts of Connall’s university experience.

He said: “For me, one of the absolute highlights was going to the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, and actually speaking on the panel of a refugee support summit. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remember that that actually happened!

“It really set a fire inside of me to get involved with 51Âþ»­ Global, international law and the refugee crisis.”

(Connall speaking at the UN in New York)

Through 51Âþ»­ Global, Connall also visited Berlin and Cyprus on two occasions.

“In Berlin we got to visit the German parliament and spoke with some of their politicians, which was pretty amazing,” he said.

“In Cyprus, we visited the government’s foreign affairs department and spoke to the head about the legal structures in place to support refugees.

“The second time I went to Cyprus was with the Model UN Society, which I re-formed and then became co-chair of. We each represented as an ambassador for the countries involved in the South China Sea dispute and attempted to resolve the conflict.”

(Connall at the Model United Nations conference in Cyprus)

Back in the UK, Connall was a student champion for DSU, treasurer for the debate society and, most recently, project coordinator for 51Âþ»­ Women.

He said: “Looking back at my time at 51Âþ»­, I can’t believe all of the things I got a chance to do.

“It’s not always been easy, but I'm so glad to be where I am today thanks to the support from my parents, my girlfriend and the rest of my family and friends."