When Film Studies graduate Kyle McKenzie first applied for a FHASS Internship with Escape2Make (E2M), he was simply hoping to gain experience and earn a little money. Six years later, he is now the CEO of the charity he joined as a student intern. While his story is undoubtedly impressive, Kyle is clear about one thing: it wasn’t luck. It was showing up, working hard and saying “yes” to opportunities.

During his time at Lancaster, Kyle threw himself into societies, volunteered his skills where he could and embraced chances to collaborate. By the time he reached his third year, those experiences gave him confidence to apply for the FHASS Internship Scheme.

“When I started the internship I worked very hard to make a noticeable impact,” he says. “I wanted to exceed expectations so that senior members of the organisation would want to continue to employ me after the internship was over.”

That early determination shaped everything that followed. Because he made himself useful to the team at E2M, they did keep him on after the internship ended. Because he consistently delivered high-quality work, freelance opportunities started to find him. And because he continued to learn, adapt and stay open to new responsibilities, he eventually moved into leadership!

For Kyle, the key lesson for students is that attitude matters just as much as technical skill. Turning up on time, meeting deadlines, asking thoughtful questions and caring about the quality of your work can have a bigger impact than you realise.

“I am a firm believer that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Have a high bar for quality. Anyone can do the bare minimum – but if you can push yourself to going the extra mile, that’s what gets you noticed.”

He also encourages students not to feel restricted by their degree subject. Although he didn’t enter the film industry, he uses skills from his degree every day, from project management to creative problem-solving and communicating clearly with others.

Kyle’s story highlights the value of simply getting stuck in: joining societies, gaining experience, applying for opportunities, and building relationships. These small steps can shape a career in unexpected ways.

“Go for it!,” Kyle says. “An Internship can open up so many doors for you. They are great ways to dabble in the world of work whilst you are a student and earn an extra little bit of income too.”

Kyle’s journey is a reminder that showing enthusiasm, putting in the effort and staying curious can take you a very long way.

You can see the full discussion with Kyle on our alumni webpages here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni/news/from-undergraduate-to-chief-executive

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