On Monday 5th February we welcomed Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin to present the second lecture in our Women of Influence 2018 series. Rose is a Church of England priest, a prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral and the first black female to hold the role of Queen’s Chaplain.

Rose spoke of her upbringing in Montego Bay, Jamaica and how she knew she wanted to be a priest, even though women weren’t able to at that time. She also spoke about the obstacles that being a black female had presented her, especially when applying for new roles, and how she overcame these. A key message Rose gave the girls was “no limitations rule my effort; I will achieve, I will excel, I will overcome obstacles. I have the potential for greatness.”

After the lecture, Reverend Hudson-Wilkin met with Sixth Form students studying Religious Studies. The girls asked some engaging questions, including how her faith affects her role as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, how she views faith and school co-existing, and further challenges she faced as a woman. Rose gave illuminating answers to all these questions, providing much thought for the girls and their upcoming studies.

We thank Rose for her inspirational talk on overcoming challenges, her roles in prominent positions and practising faith in our everyday lives.

We continue our Women of Influence Lecture Series on Wednesday when we welcome back an alumna with a career in journalism.

You can view an extract from Rose’s inspirational talk on YouTube.