Dayna Brackley, 43, decided to return to university 20 years after gaining her last degree as she wanted a career change. She shares her tips for those wanting to take the leap.

By Katie Hoggan (Communications Officer (Corporate)), Published

I wanted to share that this is my second time round at university. The last was 20 years ago. But I decided, after a successful career and two small people, that I was going to start again. I wanted to do something that had meaning for me.

So, 20 years on, I took the leap. And that’s when life got really interesting.

These are the words of Dayna Brackley (MSc Food Policy, 2024) taken from her speech at City St George’s summer graduations. At the ceremony, Dayna shared with her fellow graduates that after a career in communications planning, strategy consulting and a long stint working for the Mayor of London, she decided to go back to university in hope of a career change.

A blonde woman in a cap and gown stands in front of a giant lettering spelling City
Dayna studied part-time across two years at the Centre for Food Policy and secured a role at Bremner

“I opted for food policy because I felt it had more opportunity for change. I started the course, and my aim was to get a job in food policy by the end of it,” she said.

“For me, it was very much a decision to have a different career. I wanted to do something that had meaning for me, I wanted to focus on the right to good, nutritious food, particularly for children and the vulnerable,” said Dayna, 43.

Find out more about City St George’s MSc Food Policy.

Dayna studied part-time across two years at the Centre for Food Policy and secured a role at Bremner & Co, an independent food policy and practice consultancy, in her first year of studies. Since graduating, Dayna has made partner at the consultancy and said the knowledge she gained on her course has been invaluable at work.

“This role felt like a great way to put everything I learned on that course into practice, which I absolutely do all of the time. There’s lots of people I’ve met along the way who have done the Food Policy course and used it as an opportunity to bounce off to a second career.”

On changing careers in her forties, Dayna said it was an adjustment to no longer be the most knowledgeable person in the room.

“I've been working for quite a long time and I would often be the expert in the room. When that stops it's quite an uncomfortable place to be for a while, but you gradually get there. You're increasing your learning, and it's so much more fulfilling to do something that you really enjoy.

When I grew up, the focus was on finding a job that earned you a lot of money where you could move up quickly with promotions. My definition of success has shifted to not only finding a job that’s meaningful but one that I feel happy doing. One that also allows me to be a good role model for my children and have a healthy work-life balance. That’s something I’ve found at Bremner & Co.

As a mother of two daughters aged seven and nine, Dayna said her children were part of every step of her journey back into education.

“Every time I went into university my children would send me in with a teddy. They wanted me to take photos of the teddy doing things on campus – reading a book from the library, attending a study group, editing my dissertation. I love those pictures and they made the front page of my acknowledgements in my dissertation.

A collage of photos of teddy bears in different spots across a University
The teddies that featured in Dayna's dissertation

My children are proud of me, they came to my graduation and did the obligatory throwing of the cap. I think it’s fantastic – it's always been very important to show my children I can be a mother and have a career and study at the same time – challenging as that may be.

Dayna works with four City St George's alumni at Bremner & Co. “I think that shows the quality and calibre you get from people taking that course,” she said.

While returning to university presented some challenges, Dayna said the support she received from staff made all the difference.

“The library staff were incredibly helpful and supportive and part of the wider support system at City St George’s. Some of the systems are quite hard to access when you've been out of the university system for 20 years, but everyone was so patient with me. That pastoral support as well as the academic support is important to have.”

On her advice to those thinking about a career change, she said: “The thing to always remember when you make a leap is that you aren't really starting from the beginning, because you will have transferable skills.”

Find out more about the Centre for Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London.