My passion for RSE first arose when I was doing my undergraduate degree in Drama. I was in my early 20s and it dawned on me how much misinformation I’d received about sex, and even my own body. After doing more research I realised how many people my age felt the same way — like they were navigating a world obsessed with sex, without knowing all that much about it.

A fire was lit, and my dissertation for my final year explored drama workshops as a tool to deliver RSE. At 21 I stood, for the first time, in front of a room full of secondary school students (not an awful lot younger than myself) and tried to deliver the lesson I wish I’d received in school.

I knew I wanted to learn more. My curiosity took me to Brighton, where I did my Master's degree in Gender Studies at the University of Sussex. While studying, I worked part-time at a YMCA drop-in centre that provided support and advice to young people on a variety of issues, including relationships and sexual health.

There I handed out condoms, helped teenagers cry through their breakups, and collected urine samples for pregnancy and STI tests. I loved every second — I never thought handling pots of pee all day could be so much fun!

I graduated from my MA with a Distinction and since then I’ve gained my sex educator accreditation, worked on a project that helps young survivors of sexual violence to understand their rights, collaborated with the NHS on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in healthcare and even painted my vulva on camera for a national sexual health campaign (Yes, you read that right! You can watch it here.)

But my favourite thing to do is to teach what I’ve learned so that young people have a better start than I did when it comes to their sexual journey. 

I want to make sex a conversation that young people enjoy having, not one they avoid in shame.