Breaking into journalism

Alex Davis, who is now breaking stories at national level, took his first journalistic steps whilst still at School.

Alex (OE 2006-2013) completed internships at flagship news outlets Sky News and ITN, before working for First News (the UK's leading children's weekly newspaper) and The Tab Cambridge (an online newspaper for university students).

But it was at QE that he had his first opportunity to pursue his interest in journalism. He pulled together the content for a feature on student volunteering in the spring 2012 edition of the School's newsletter, The Elizabethan, and edited a pupil newspaper.

It was while he was reading History at Downing College, Cambridge, that Alex had his first success with national news outlets: his story on a controversial English Finals Question was picked up by national news outlets, including the BBC. The examination question included a poem comprising only punctuation, with no words at all.

He has also written for the international online news site The Huffington Post. His piece The Power of Popular History was 'Editor's Pick'.

Whilst at QE Alex received the United Jewish Israel Appeal's Young Leaders Award. The UJIA is an organisation which works to foster links between Israel and the UK. It presents an annual award to the most inspiring person delivering Jewish education in an informal setting. Alex received the prestigious award for his work in leading QE’s Jewish Society.

He went on to become President of the Cambridge University Society and was the official Team GB Blogger for the 2013 Maccabiah Games. At those same games he represented Great Britain at rugby, a sport at which he also represented his university, his college and his School.