Abbie is the first to say that entering the world of academia was not something she expected to achieve. The warm welcome and support from Reading’s History department helped her demystify what academia is and discover what it personally meant to her.
Whilst exploring the department’s diverse research strengths in gender history, black and non-western history and medical history, Abbie soon found herself captivated by women’s history. Her growing curiosity inspired her to delve into political modules which examined the first female MPs in Britain, the development of women’s political rights, and their place in society during the interwar period. The freedom to choose from a breadth of modules enabled Abbie to evolve her specialist area and gain hands-on archive experiences which further ignited her passion.
Reading’s two-way collaborative teaching process and unique opportunities helped Abbie’s confidence in developing her own theories and informed critical analyses. During her second year she worked with Dr Jacqui Turner to research and support the organisation of Vote100, which celebrated the centenary of the first women being granted the vote in Britain and found her second passion, academia.
Abbie continued her academic journey through her master’s degree at Reading and worked as a Historical Impact Assistant for the Astor 100 project in celebration of the centenary of the first woman to take her seat in the British Parliament: Viscountess Nancy Astor. These experiences, plus a tour of the House of Lords, enabled Abbie to gain unique insights into political history and fostered her love of academia.
Currently pursuing her PhD on Conservative Cabinet politics of the 1920s, with a focus on citizenship and women’s voting rights, Abbie now teaches using her own research and mentors young, working-class students from educationally deprived backgrounds, and is a firm believer that school experience should not define anyone’s future aspirations. She credits the university’s History department with setting her on her next journey to become Dr Tibbott.