Finding Her Path
If you ask most children at age 10 what they want to be when they grow up, it’s probably a mixture of two or three full-time jobs that don’t correlate, but somehow they work together.
For (Spoiler Alert) writer Sarah O’Grady, these careers included vet, artist and actor. As she grew up into her teens, these then became a midwife, paramedic and English teacher. Granted, at this stage, she was aware that all three at once was probably unlikely, but she did flit around the three.
‘I never really had a solid career dream in mind. I bounced around between career ideas for most of my primary and secondary years. The careers advisor in secondary school was also no help. He was beyond shocked at the idea of midwifery, which confused me for a while. Throughout all of that time, writing had always been a constant theme. I wrote various stories during my childhood and thrived in English classes in Secondary school. But for some reason, I never saw being a writer as a possible career path. My school was very heavily focused on big careers and big futures. I just never saw that for myself.’
Making her way through secondary school, Sarah had more hurdles to overcome than most teens.
Overcoming Challenges
"For me, Secondary School was probably much like it was for everyone else. Spotty, stressful and a little too sweaty. But I did have a few no-so-typical experiences too. Having had emergency brain surgery at 14 and then being diagnosed with severe OCD at 17, my school experience wasn’t exactly picture-perfect. I eventually left school at the start of lower sixth, after I became unable to cope in a classroom due to my health. But after lots of therapy, tears and too many all-nighters, I started my Journalism with English degree at Ulster University."
How EPY Sparked Sarah’s Copywriting Business
Once at university, Sarah stumbled upon the opportunity to start her own business. Something she had dabbled in pre-university. And although her discovery of EPY was pretty unorthodox, she has no regrets about taking the leap to start her writing business.
‘It actually came about as a bit of a misunderstanding on my part! I thought that one of my first-year modules needed a placement (I later realised that it did not - at least not in the Covid year), and I wasn’t sure what to do for it, so I contacted the legendary Jackie Smith for advice. As soon as Jackie started telling me about the Enterprise Placement Year, I was hooked. Being a student with a chronic illness, I was fully aware of the reality that a “typical” 9-5 job was probably not in the cards for me after I graduated, so when I found out about a university programme that helped you start your own business, it seemed like the most obvious and right next step for me. As for why I started a copywriting business (Your Word Counts), I have always loved writing and hoped to make it a career. I stumbled across copywriting in my first year of uni and it just seemed like a no-brainer: EPY and Copywriting, a match made in Heaven.’
Having spent so much time self-learning and becoming self-employed, Sarah has learned some vital skills that have helped her stay focused on her goals.
Self-Motivation is Key
"Self-motivation has been a massive quality that I have relied on to get me to where I am now. After I dropped out of secondary school at 17, I knew that I still wanted to achieve my A-Levels, but doing so in a classroom setting was not going to work. So, after about 8 months off to get some help and take a breather, I enrolled in the Open Study College to complete an English A-Level, fully online. This was the best decision I could have made as it allowed me to study at my own pace and in my own time. I fell in love with learning again and thrived on teaching myself and holding myself accountable."
Growing a Career and Giving Back
Since graduating, Sarah has continued to grow her copywriting business and dabble in creative writing, including self-publishing a poetry collection, ‘12:37’. And as of January 2025, she has been involved in a UU post-graduate programme.
‘Right now I am on a UU programme called the Graduate Boost Programme (GBP). My internship is with Ulster University’s Employability and Careers team. My main role is working alongside Brian Byers to create a student/graduate blog. A place for past and present students to hear stories about UU alums, their careers, unique university pathways and overall inspiration from those who have gone before you. (AKA, the blog you are on right now).’
Having achieved what she has now, Sarah has some words of wisdom to offer her younger self and anyone else starting out on their university experience.
‘I’d tell her to make the most of it. University is tough enough when you’re physically and mentally healthy. Add on a chronic illness and severe OCD, and you’ve got a heck of a mountain to climb. But there are definitely some highs. EPY was a big highlight for me throughout my uni career and the various in-studio and real-life journalism projects I was involved in. I’d also tell 22-year-old me to go easy on myself (although I know she would fully ignore this). Also, you WILL finish that dissertation and Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner will get you through some long nights.’
