I Started as an Activator. Now I Get to Help Activate Others.

From LJMU student to GoodShip* crew member, and now part of a BRILLIANT Awards finalist programme.

It's not every day you get to celebrate an award nomination for a programme that helped change the direction of your own career.

But that's exactly where I find myself.

I'm incredibly proud that GoodShip* AI Activator, delivered in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), has been named a finalist in the Innovation in Learning: Colleges & Universities category at the BRILLIANT Awards 2026.

And for me, this isn't just another award nomination.

It's personal.

Because before I joined GoodShip*, before I became part of the crew helping students discover what they can achieve with AI and technology, I was one of those students myself.

From the other side of the room

I was studying at Liverpool John Moores University when I had the opportunity to take part in the original AI Activator pilot programme in 2025.

Like many students, I was exploring what I wanted to do next, where my skills could take me and how the things I was learning might translate into real opportunities.

University gives you knowledge, but sometimes you need something different to help you understand what you can actually do with it.

For me, AI Activator was one of those opportunities.

It wasn't a traditional classroom experience where someone stood at the front telling us what artificial intelligence could do.

We were encouraged to get involved, ask questions, challenge ideas, work together and explore what we could create.

There wasn't an expectation that we needed to know everything. In fact, quite the opposite.

We were encouraged to experiment, get things wrong, learn from each other and have the bravery to try something new.

And that's something that has stayed with me.

Sometimes the biggest thing you learn isn't how to use a new technology. It's discovering that you're capable of more than you thought.

From participant to part of the crew

Fast forward to today, and I'm now part of GoodShip*, working alongside the people who created the programme I originally experienced as a student.

That's still pretty incredible to think about.

I've gone from sitting in the room as a participant to helping deliver the experience for other students.

I'm now helping people explore artificial intelligence, develop ideas, solve real-world challenges and build the confidence to take their next steps.

And having experienced both sides, I've come to understand something really important.

AI Activator isn't simply about teaching people how to use AI.

It's about helping them discover what they're capable of when they're given the tools, encouragement and freedom to think differently.

I've seen students arrive at the beginning of a week feeling uncertain about their abilities, only to be standing in front of employers and industry professionals five days later, confidently explaining something they've helped create.

That's powerful.

And it's something I can relate to because I've been in their position.

Real challenges. Real learning. Real opportunities.

One of the things I love most about AI Activator is that the challenges aren't imaginary.

We work with real businesses, charities and organisations that bring genuine problems and opportunities into the programme.

Students work together in teams, exploring research, developing ideas, challenging assumptions and using AI and digital tools to prototype potential solutions.

Over five intensive days, they move from understanding a challenge to presenting something they've created.

But there's something even more important happening along the way.

They're learning how to communicate, collaborate, think critically, solve problems and share their ideas with confidence.

They're meeting employers and industry professionals who might otherwise have been outside their networks.

And they're discovering new possibilities for their futures.

For some students, that might mean considering a different career direction. For others, it could be the confidence to apply for an opportunity, start a project or simply believe that their ideas deserve to be heard.

For me, AI Activator became part of my journey into GoodShip*.

Who knows where it could take somebody else?

Why the LJMU partnership matters

As a former LJMU student, I'm especially proud that our work with the university is being recognised.

The partnership between GoodShip* and Liverpool John Moores University is about connecting education with industry and creating opportunities that go beyond traditional learning.

Through our work with LJMU Student Futures, we're bringing students together with employers, organisations and real-world challenges, helping them gain practical experience while developing the skills they'll need for the future.

And we've already seen the difference this approach can make.

Our original pilot programme achieved a 4.93 out of 5 participant rating, with 87% reporting increased confidence and 80% saying the experience had changed their perspective on their future careers.

Those are fantastic results.

But behind every number is a person.

Someone who has gained confidence, explored a new skill, made a connection or started thinking differently about what they might do next.

I know that because I'm one of those people.

And now I have the opportunity to help others experience something similar.

Why this award means more than recognition

The BRILLIANT Awards celebrate schools, colleges, universities and organisations that are challenging traditional approaches to education and creating new ways for people to learn.

Being shortlisted in the Innovation in Learning: Colleges & Universities category is recognition of the work we're doing with LJMU to make learning more practical, creative and connected to the opportunities around us.

But I think it also says something important about what education can become.

We need to create more spaces where students can experiment, where they don't have to be afraid of getting something wrong and where curiosity matters just as much as existing knowledge.

AI is changing how we work and learn, but simply giving students access to the latest tools isn't enough.

We need to help them understand how to use those tools responsibly, creatively and confidently.

We need to connect them with people and organisations that can open doors.

And we need to recognise that talent doesn't always reveal itself through traditional qualifications or assessments.

Sometimes you need to give someone a different kind of opportunity to discover just how much potential they have.

That's what AI Activator did for me.

The next generation of Activators

From 2nd to 6th November, we'll be delivering another AI Activator programme in partnership with LJMU, welcoming a new group of students to explore AI, technology and real-world challenges.

And once again, I'll be part of the crew helping them through that experience.

There's something quite special about that.

Not so long ago, I was the student walking into the room, wondering what the week might bring.

Now I'm one of the people welcoming the next group through the door.

We'll see their ideas develop, their confidence grow and, hopefully, watch them discover something new about themselves.

And perhaps one of them will find an opportunity that changes their direction too.

That's the exciting part.

We don't always know where these experiences will lead.

But we do know what can happen when people are given the chance to explore their potential.

From one opportunity to many more

On Tuesday 10th November, we'll find out whether GoodShip* AI Activator has won at the BRILLIANT Awards, taking place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool.

Whatever happens, I'm incredibly proud to be part of this story.

A huge thank you to everyone at Liverpool John Moores University, LJMU Student Futures, and Unitemps, the GoodShip* crew, our challenge partners and every student who has been part of the programme.

And thank you to the people who gave me an opportunity when I was still figuring out my next steps.

Because sometimes all it takes is for somebody to open a door and give you the confidence to walk through it.

I was given that opportunity as a student.

Now I get to help create those opportunities for others.

I started as an Activator. Now I get to help activate others.

And to me, that's already something pretty brilliant.

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