When thinking of what most Gonzaga students tend to look like in their third year in college, many people would picture someone at an American university, majoring in something like business or engineering, playing varsity or club sports and maybe being a part of a fraternity to some extent. Arthur Ferridge ’21 is a former student who breaks all the stereotypes of what a Gonzaga student looks like three years after graduation. He is a member of Gonzaga’s Class of 2021, a class that is earmarked by having its final two years at Gonzaga deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ferridge attends Newcastle University in Newcastle, England where he studies English literature and history. He is a dual citizen of both England and the United States. He grew up in London and moved to the United States at the age of 10. He knew he wanted to return to the United Kingdom for college because of the three-year degree system and the focus on specific majors rather than the general education and liberal arts approach of many American universities. While Ferridge still has a British accent and calls the sport of soccer “football,” going back to England was not all that easy.
“I feel like I have more of a culture shock moving back to the UK than I did from moving here from the UK because I sort of thought that I had kept more of the kind of British-isms while I was here. I realized that you know, my accent has gotten a lot weaker than I thought it had. …. So, in that sense, I feel like I had a bit of catching up to do, but it wasn’t too bad,” Ferridge said.
While Ferridge misses many parts of his home in the United States like his family and friends, one unconventional item sticks out and he makes sure to pack it in his bag when he hops back across the pond.
“There’s one thing that I’ve never been able to find in the UK and that is boxed mac and cheese, so that’s one thing that I always miss. I usually take a couple of boxes back with me if I have spare space on my back,” Ferridge said.
Ferridge’s path in school appears to be a complete 180-degree turn from his high school days, but he is still deeply involved in journalism, a passion of his that grew during his time at Gonzaga. Arthur took Journalism Writing with Mrs. Teresa Jackson, English teacher, and it was one of the most impactful classes he took in high school. He uses tools from that class in his work as the head sports editor at Newcastle University’s student newspaper, The Courier. Ferridge’s time at Gonzaga and participation in journalism writing class, The Aquilian, Sports Broadcasting Club and publishing various blogs helped him become an experienced journalist, something that he uses every day in college and hopes to carry on into a career in sports journalism in the great city of London. Ferridge’s time at Gonzaga planted the seed that set him on a path to becoming a journalist and was happy to advise Gonzaga’s current crop of young journalists.
“You have to be a self-starter…. Write as much as you can, write on many subjects, it is the best way to make you better,” Ferridge said.
diazmgonzaga • Jan 26, 2024 at 11:00 am
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