It’s May 2024. I’m at the Herald Student Press Awards, having just won three gongs, including the coveted Student Journalist of the Year prize.

Dozens of finalists from across Scotland have gathered at Newsquest’s Bath Street offices, sipping bubbly and networking with The Herald’s top journalists and editorial staff.

In that moment, I was struck by a feeling of satisfaction. Months of hard work had been recognised. But like any good tale, the story was only beginning.

I’m not one to be complacent, nor timid, but I was initially hesitant to take up my four week paid work placement.

There were a lot of unknowns. I would have to move across the country, from........

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