Jake — 'Emma enabled me to be part of something that I know I’ll be part of for life'

We asked members to tell us about their time at Emma and the difference it has made in their careers and lives. You can read their stories below. We'll be updating this page frequently with new stories and we would love to hear from even more members. You can submit your own Emma enables story here.

I was from a state school where very few people went to Cambridge, so I did a lot of research before I chose Emma; I really liked the paddock and being allowed to walk on the grass, it was not too big or too small, and the Alternative Prospectus said it was a very friendly college.

Emma enables... Jake: Head of Research at The Business of Cities

Support from college really enhanced my studies: a travel grant that enabled me to spend a summer doing conservation work and a scholarship to spend a year at Harvard after graduation. I was working in urban geography and wanted to go into planning, and my time at Harvard gave me confidence, career skills and an international perspective. I now work for a think tank advising government and the private sector on the future of cities.

Emma enabled me to be part of something that I know I’ll be part of for life: the close-knit community of the college. Just before the first lockdown I went back to get my MA and it was fantastic to be back somewhere where everyone knows each other.

Jake Nunley (2013, Geography)