For Lancaster Film graduate Kyle McKenzie, the scheme became far more than a CV-builder, it was the starting point of a long-term professional relationship with youth charity Escape2Make (E2M). What began as a short-term internship grew into part-time work, freelance opportunities, and eventually a full-time role. In October 2025, Kyle reached a major milestone when he was appointed CEO of Escape2Make, leading the organisation he first joined as a student intern.

Our Faculty Employability Coach, Rachel Beauchamp, spoke with Kyle about how it all began, what he learned along the way, and how the internship shaped his journey from undergraduate to chief executive.

Could you tell us a little about your time at Lancaster University and what led you to apply for the FHASS Internship Scheme?

I look back fondly at my time at Lancaster University. I was in Fylde College, working towards a Film degree and enjoyed spending much of my time contributing to Lancaster University Students’ Union’s excellent collection of societies, namely the Comedy Institute and Bailrigg FM.

In 2019, in my third year, I began to get a little concerned about employment upon graduating. I wanted to bolster my experience, whilst earning some money, so I looked at the FHASS Internships and saw Escape2Make for the first time. I was immediately interested in the organisation’s vision and figured that I had all of the practical skills necessary to be a good candidate for the role. I interviewed and was fortunate enough to get the position.

What skills or lessons from that internship experience have stayed with you throughout your career?

I was given responsibility straight away that helped me learn how to work effectively in a fast-paced, agile team-working environment. I was actually able to utilise a lot of the practical skills I had developed during my degree. I had learned a lot about Film Production in the practical modules of my course – and I was able to adapt that learning into a transferrable skill, to apply to events production, which was the main focus of the Escape2Make internship.

I remember that when I started the internship I worked very hard to make a noticeable impact. I wanted to exceed expectations so that senior members of the organisation would want to continue to employ me after the internship was over.

How did your career progress after completing your internship and degree?

Because I had made an impact during my internship, Escape2Make were keen to keep working with me once I graduated. At first this was part-time, 1-day per week, which gave me the opportunity to build on my skills and experience by seeking out other freelance work. I worked as a Freelance Events Producer & Videographer for a couple of years after graduating. This didn’t bring in the biggest salary, but it was enough to get by. More importantly, it planted seeds in the local community that I was effective in any role I worked and a good person to have be part of the team. Freelance work was quite difficult to come by at first, but because the job was always done to a high standard, after a year or so, I rarely needed to make applications any more, as there was enough work being offered to me via word of mouth. Throughout this, I continued to work part-time with E2M, to help the organisation grow and bring back any skills I had developed during my work outside of the organisation.

How do you feel your internship and university experience has helped shape your career?

I certainly wouldn’t be in the position I was now without the FHASS Internship. Getting my foot in the door in an emerging organisation was a great chance to grow my skills/experience as the organisation grew with me. I feel like I know the organisation inside and out because we’re like kids who grew up together!

A lot of people I know from university worried a lot about not getting a job related to their degree after graduating. The reality is that things aren’t always as black and white. Some Film students may be determined to work in the film industry after graduating, however, the knowledge and skill-set that a Film student will gain throughout their undergraduate degree can open up far more doors. The film industry is great and a wonderful thing for any Film graduate to be a part of. But I didn’t end up working in the Film industry, yet not a day goes by where I don’t believe my university experience has helped me get to where I am now. It’s all the little things sometimes. Working to deadlines to complete essays, managing a team to plan a group presentation, timekeeping to turn up to your lectures on time, researching and revising for exams – it all helps shape a strong and employable candidate!

Your appointment as CEO is such fantastic news, what does this new role mean to you?

E2M has a mission that is very close to my heart. I am thrilled to represent the organisation in this way and take the step up to senior leadership. The new role comes with lots of challenges. Managing a growing staff team and the organisation’s legal & financial responsibilities comes with a good amount of pressure. But I have the right support systems in place, fantastic mentors, a hard-working and thoughtful team of staff and a brilliant foundation of core principles that the organisation was built upon.

My plan is to help E2M continue to grow. I’d like to help the organisation with expanding its reach to engage with more young people, particularly those who are facing obstacles in their life beyond their control, who would perhaps benefit most from having a safe, welcome, accessible space where they can express themselves via creative activities. This will come in the form of expanding our offer, expanding our team and ultimately expanding the ways in which the charity can explore more sustainable income strategies. Big jobs, for sure! But ones I am incredibly enthusiastic about tackling.

What advice would you give to students who are considering taking part in an internship?

Go for it! So long as you have the time to make the commitment and it won’t interfere with your studies or making enough personal time for yourself – a FHASS 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. The right opportunity taken advantage of could help to secure you future employment; whether its with the organisation you did your internship with or as a result of the experience gained from it!

Is there a piece of advice, quote, or principle that has guided you throughout your career to date?

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. Also – ask questions! There’s no such thing as a stupid question. When my staff ask me questions I love it because it shows that they care about doing the job correctly. Questions are not a sign of weakness or uncertainty, they are a sign you want to get things right. If in doubt, always ask.

The FHASS Internship scheme exists to support students in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences to access high quality, paid opportunities with those organisations who would not normally have the funds to offer such experiences. In the 2024/25 academic year we proudly supported 56 students into internships with organisations such as charities, heritage organisations, publishers, research projects and arts organisations. It is a scheme we are incredibly proud of in the faculty and stories such as Kyle’s really show the impact that’s such opportunities can have. A huge thank you to the FHASS Employability Team both past and present for facilitating these extraordinary experiences and making an impact for hundreds of our students.