Martha Dafydd Morse

I have been fortunate to have been able to study for an MA in Welsh History, gaining a new qualification at the end of the year. I am extremely grateful to the Pantyfedwen Foundation for assisting and supporting me to study a course which covered a wide period of Welsh history, from the time of Gerallt Gymro (Gerald of Wales) to eighteenth-century Wales and the Second World War.

For my dissertation, I had the opportunity to specialise in the social history of Ceredigion during the Second World War. I researched rural communities between 1939-1945 and found letters exchanged between soldiers and their families during that time. I hope that the research will add to our understanding of rural, Welsh, communities during the Second World War. Studying the course also helped me develop and broaden my academic skills and computer skills, and taught me how to collect and enter data and information, how to organize my work and how best to work under pressure. Being a part of the University's postgraduate community was valuable, providing support and a community web between students and lecturers. Although the circumstances over the last year have been extremely challenging and difficult with Covid-19, I have been able to develop my perseverance and adjustment skills to complete the course.

In the future, I would like to work in the field of Welsh history and social history, raising awareness of Welsh history for all ages and backgrounds. I would like to work in a museum, helping to convey the history that can, at times, be neglected within general education. I am certain that the skills I have learned during my MA in Welsh History will broaden my work opportunities and make me more confident as I apply for jobs. This MA has been hugely beneficial to me, and really helped me choose my career path.