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The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024 measures the percentage of graduates in professional work or further study 15 months after graduating, with 81% of UEA&rsquo;s 2021/22 cohort in this category - we caught up with five of them to talk about their careers so far.&nbsp;
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Elise Harrison. BSc Psychology with a Placement Year. Clinical Associate Psychologist for the Norfolk &amp; Suffolk NHS Trust<span class="EOP SCXW92896449 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Elise graduated with a first-class degree in&nbsp;BSc Psychology with a Placement Year in 2022, before completing a Master&rsquo;s apprenticeship, which was fully funded by the NHS. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Talking about her time at UEA, Elise said: &nbsp;
&ldquo;Completing my placement year during my undergraduate degree was a real advantage. Until then, I hadn&rsquo;t had proper hands-on experience, it was through this that I later gained employment. Having that firsthand experience at an undergraduate level boosted my employability. &nbsp;
&ldquo;All of my professors had relevant clinical and academic experience in clinical psychology. They had vast experience working in the NHS which meant they had direct knowledge of how to put theory into practice and, most importantly, the knowledge to help us do that as well.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Having made the decision to stay in Norwich, Elise now works full-time as a Clinical Associate Psychologist for Norfolk &amp; Suffolk NHS Trust, delivering psychological informed therapeutic interventions to adults with complex needs using multi-disciplinary approaches. &nbsp;
Elise said: &nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m now working with patients who I worked with during my placement year, supporting them in their mental health as a professional. I have been able to see their recovery journey and have gained new skills, knowledge and understanding of their difficulties from different perspectives. This is something I hadn&rsquo;t anticipated as being one of the benefits of staying in Norwich.&rdquo; &nbsp;
Talking about her motivations to study Psychology, Elise said:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I always get emotional thinking about it, but it&rsquo;s the motivation to help people. Everyone deserves help, and a life worth living. Services unfortunately aren&rsquo;t set up to support everyone, so knowing that my role can help at least some, it&rsquo;s a good feeling.&rdquo;&nbsp; <a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-psychology">Study Psychology at UEA</a>
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Rohnjose Saji. MSc Data Science. Insight Analyst with JLL Real Estate&nbsp;
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Rohn came to UEA from India in 2021 to continue his studies, having already completed his undergraduate degree in Mathematics, and obtained a Master's degree in Data Science.&nbsp; &nbsp; Rohn continues to show appreciation for his time at UEA, saying: &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;UEA&rsquo;s environment really pushes us to become something in life. In my personal opinion, that was really helpful. If someone wants to study, if they want to achieve something, UEA is the best place.&rdquo; &nbsp;
After graduating and applying for more than 1000 jobs, Rohn landed a dream position in Norwich as an insight&nbsp;analysist with JLL, a global real estate services company with offices in 88 countries. Rohn offered his advice to current students entering the job market, saying: &nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Start making friends wherever you are. I got a promotion within six months of being in the company and I really believe that all these things happened because I had good connections. Whether it&rsquo;s someone who works in the kitchen, a cleaner or a co-worker in your department, try and talk to them, show interest in who they are."&nbsp;
Rohn also provided an insightful perspective into the barriers of being an international student, saying:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Reaching the UK has been difficult. Leaving my family and a familiar life behind is not easy. I had to learn to live alone and be independent in a way I hadn&rsquo;t needed to before. I took on a part-time job as a carer, alongside my full-time degree, as I hadn&rsquo;t anticipated such a high conversion rate... however, at my current point in life, I can say proudly that choosing to apply to UEA was one of the best decisions I have ever taken in life.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Rohn went on to share how he overcame these barriers with the support of UEA. saying: &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;If I ever had any doubts, I would email my tutor and they would set up a phone call where we would talk it through. It was really helpful knowing I had the support whenever I needed it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Rohn is clear on his ambitions for the future, saying:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Growing up, I really wanted to be the head of a company. Like the CEO of Google, his name is Sundar Pichai. He&rsquo;s from India, he grew up in a village area in local schools like me. I really want to be the head of a big company one day, make my parents proud. If I did something like that it would be in the local newspapers in my home.&rdquo;&nbsp; <a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/msc-data-science">Study a Masters in Data Science at UEA</a> Rosie Almond. BSc Economics, MSc in Experimental Economics, PhD in Behavioural Economic. Behavioural Risk Manager for&nbsp;NatWest<span class="EOP SCXW164352996 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;
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Rosie Almond is both a former student and former staff member at UEA. &nbsp;
After months of indecision during her A-levels about where to go and what to study, Rosie&rsquo;s academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in BSc Economics at UEA in 2011. Rosie said:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I came to an applicant&rsquo;s day at UEA and I was absolutely made up. From that moment, my decision was made, and I was really hoping I would get in... little did I know, that would be the beginning of 10 years at UEA.&rdquo; &nbsp;
Following her undergraduate degree, Rosie went on to complete an MSc in Experimental Economics and, later, a PhD in Behavioural Economics. &nbsp;
Rosie&rsquo;s first job, while still studying, was as a Student Ambassador, before going on to become an Assoicate Tutor and Research Associate, for which she said:&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was a strange but rewarding feeling having my teachers become my colleagues.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Now working as a Behavioural Risk Manager for NatWest, Rosie said: &nbsp;
&ldquo;My degrees have helped me uncover what I&rsquo;m interested in and what my passion is. I have been able to apply my academic research skill set to a number of roles."&nbsp; <a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-economics">Study Economics at UEA</a> Debasmita Goswami. MSc in International Business Finance and Economics. Business and Enterprise Graduate Programme with Rolls Royce Aerospace &nbsp;
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Debasmita graduated with an MSc in International Business Finance and Economics in 2022. When making the decision of where to study her Master&rsquo;s, Debasmita said:&nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Only a few universities offered the course with no prior experience in economics, but UEA is open to everyone, and it had such good ratings.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Debasmita is currently part of a Business and Enterprise Graduate Programme with Rolls-Royce Aerospace, which is helping her gain experience across different sectors.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Speaking about the support she received at UEA, Debasmita said:&nbsp;
&ldquo;The facilities at UEA helped me a lot. CareerCentral played a big role in my job, they provided guidance for my CV and opportunities to practice presentations for interviews.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;One of my professors, Dr Jibonayan Raychaudhuri, supported me a lot. He has been my career coach, from my first interaction before being a student at UEA, all the way until now.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As an international student from India, Debasmita reminisces about the diverse community of UEA, saying: &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Through UEA, I got to meet a lot of people from around the world. I have made friends and life-long connections.&rdquo;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/msc-international-business-finance-and-economics">Study a Masters in International Business and Finance at UEA</a>
Si&acirc;n&nbsp;Roche. BA(Hons)&nbsp;Politics and Media, MA Broadcast and Digital Journalism. Newsdesk Editor and Newsreader with Bauer Media Group&nbsp; <img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/6c53461ec6/sian-roche-720x350.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="720" height="350"> 
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Si&acirc;n completed an undergraduate degree in Politics and Media at UEA before going on to study an MA in Broadcast Journalism, from which she graduated in 2022. When reflecting on her decision to choose UEA, Sian said:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I attended an open day before applying and felt it gave me a really good idea of what UEA was like as a place to be. Meeting students and lecturers was so helpful, and seeing all the accommodation options also helped me make a much more informed decision.&nbsp;
&ldquo;UEA was one of the few universities that let me study the course I really wanted to with no compromise! I fell in love with UEA's campus, the surrounding greenery, the people and the city of Norwich and knew it felt like home.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Si&acirc;n now works as a Newsdesk Editor and Newsreader for Bauer Media. During her time at UEA she hosted her own show on the University&rsquo;s radio station &lsquo;LiveWire&rsquo; and gained work experience with BBC Radio 2&rsquo;s Jeremy Vine show and BBC Norfolk. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Speaking about this experience, Si&acirc;n said: &nbsp;
&ldquo;My Master&rsquo;s degree enabled me to get paid work at BBC Radio Norfolk &ndash; which was a brilliant thing to have on my CV when applying for jobs post-university."&nbsp; <a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-politics">Study Politics at UEA</a>
<h2>If you are looking to start university in September 2024 and still thinking about your options, consider joining a UK Top 25 university this September through Clearing.</h2>
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/clearing?utm_medium=other&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_campaign=clearing_24&amp;utm_content=Graduate_Outcomes_Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about Clearing and view available courses</a>
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With news that 81% of UEA students are in professional work or further study 15 months after graduating, we caught up with five graduates to talk about their careers so far.

You’re doing an excellent job!

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Huizhi Yang is an international student from China, studying her undergraduate degree in Business Finance and Management at the University of East Anglia (UEA). &nbsp;
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Originally from a small city in Northern China, Huizhi has settled into UK life and is taking advantage of everything that British culture has to offer.&nbsp;
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Huizhi is part of Universities UK International&rsquo;s #WeAreInternational: Transforming Lives campaign, dedicated to highlighting the contributions international students are making to the UK and their communities during their studies here.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<a class="Hyperlink SCXW132832154 BCX8" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ2gtc-uREM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hear from Huizhi about her time at UEA</a>&nbsp;
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&ldquo;The friendliness of the British people eased my nerves&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Although moving to the UK to study was daunting at first, Huizhi soon felt at ease thanks to the friendliness of British people and the opportunity to make friends with other international students experiencing similar changes. &nbsp;
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 She said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all different, but we&rsquo;re learning together in harmony. &nbsp;
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&ldquo;I love the beautiful architecture. Literature. Music and film. This valuable experience has enriched my knowledge. And will be a big asset in my life.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Huizhi has big ambitions for using what she&rsquo;s learnt during her studies to make a difference, uniting her knowledge of finance with her passion for conservation: &ldquo;My goal is to combine the financial knowledge I've learned at university with environmental protection &ndash; to work in animal conservation or protect endangered species with an organisation like the WWF.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Prof Steven McGuire, Pro-Vice-Chancellor International at UEA, said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to hear that Huizhi has settled in so well to Norwich and enjoyed her time with us. Her story highlights the importance of making new connections and embracing new experiences, and we wish her every success for the rest of her degree and with her future goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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&ldquo;Our international students offer considerable positive impacts to the region, and the work we do across UEA to help them settle in and succeed during their time here is crucial. Their contributions, both culturally and economically, are invaluable.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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As well as making a big difference in their local communities and beyond, international students bring a &pound;41 billion annual contribution to the UK, meaning on average, each of the 650 parliamentary constituencies in the UK is &pound;58 million better off &ndash; equivalent to approximately &pound;560 per citizen. In the East of England region alone, international students contribute &pound;2.30bn to the regional economy.&nbsp;
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Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of UUKi said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s never felt more important to acknowledge the important contributions that international students make to their university and local communities, and to the UK more broadly. It&rsquo;s not just about the economic side of it &ndash; international students give back through cultural exchange, volunteering, and so much more. We&rsquo;re proud to be sharing their stories through the latest phase of the #WeAreInternational campaign.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-business-finance-and-management">Study Business Finance and Management at UEA</a>
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW132832154 BCX8">If you are looking to start university in September 2024 and still thinking about your options, consider joining a UK Top 25 university this September through Clearing.</h2>
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/clearing?utm_medium=other&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_campaign=clearing_24&amp;utm_content=Huizhi_Yang" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about Clearing and view available courses</a>
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Business Finance and Managment student, Huizhi Yang shares her experience of being part of the international student community at UEA. While soaking up British life, Huizhi moves closer to her career aspirations of environmental conservation.

Meet the international student making the most of her time in the UK

Serena Grace is an athletics sports scholar and a final year BSc PE, Sport and Health student who transferred to UEA in her second year. Having secured a full scholarship in the US, Serena Grace’s Olympic dreams inch ever closer.

Serena is on her way to the USA!

UEA graduate Caroline Winter-Jones shares her alumni story of a recent journey in honour of W.G.Sebald.&nbsp; The business manager who received us at the former Great Eastern Hotel was not &lsquo;a Portuguese called Pereira&rsquo; with a big key but an Italian called Elena with a passcard.&nbsp;
She was, however, equally courteous when we wandered into the grandiose foyer of the five-star hotel that now goes by the name of Andaz and still forms the south flank of Liverpool Street Station.&nbsp;
It was May 18, 2024, which would have been WG Sebald&rsquo;s 80th birthday, when we six UEA alumni, who were taught by Max (as we knew him) in the 1980s, gathered to mark this day with a walk through London&rsquo;s East End on a route narrated by the titular character in his 2001 novel, Austerlitz.
We had started our journey at the hotel, where Jacques Austerlitz and the narrator meet, and which stands on the site of the original St Mary of Bethlehem priory and &lsquo;hospital for the insane and other destitute persons which has gone down in history under the name of Bedlam&rsquo;.
Clutching annotated copies of the book, our literary group had asked if we could view the Masonic temple that was &lsquo;incorporated into the hotel by the directors of the railway company&rsquo; when the building was first erected in 1912.&nbsp;
We followed the gracious Elena up a broad staircase to the first floor, where she opened a heavy wooden portal leading to steps down into an ornate windowless room of dark mahogany, gilt motifs, and 12 types of marble.&nbsp;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1200x1000/93ea3ccfb2/masonic-temple-great-eastern-hotel2.png" border="0" alt="Masonic temple Great Eastern Hotel" width="500" height="417"> Masonic temple 
The Grecian temple hidden in the hotel&rsquo;s depths was built &lsquo;with the utmost luxury&rsquo; but had been forgotten for decades behind an interior wall until the hotel was redesigned by Terence Conran in the early 2000s.
Our next stop was in search of the &lsquo;Ladies&rsquo; Waiting Room&rsquo; in Liverpool Street where Austerlitz first relives a memory of arriving alone as a four-year-old boy from Prague in 1939.&nbsp;
You can see the traces of the former hotel reception that is now WH Smith in the refurbished station, where we gazed up from the racks of sweet drinks, vaping materials and pre-packaged snacks at the chandeliers and ornate cornicing. The waiting room itself &lsquo;vanished forever in the rebuilding&rsquo; and relentless development of the area, which is today once again threatened by plans for a towering glass office block.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/3024x2652/ace60ccbdf/wh-smith-liverpool-st.png" border="0" alt="W H Smiths" width="500" height="439"> Former hotel reception that is now WH Smith 
We paused on the now light-filled concourse at a Kindertransport memorial that has frozen in bronze the forlorn faces of two displaced children. F&uuml;r das Kind was placed here in 2003, two years after Sebald&rsquo;s untimely death. We paused again at a second memorial erected outside in 2006. This one only seems to highlight the disjuncture between the murderous events of the Second World War and these perky, shiny figures representing the ten thousand young Jewish souls who were shipped via Harwich to London to escape Nazi persecution in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/3024x2748/2c19c0c19d/kindertransport-memorial-liverpool-st.png" border="0" alt="Kindertransport memorial Liverpool St" width="500" height="454"> Kindertransport memorial 
From there we made our way to Alderney Road (Alderney Street in the book), where Austerlitz resided and the narrator sometimes stayed over. We peered through the letter box of the door in the wall that led to a tiny Ashkenazi cemetery. But no &lsquo;small, almost dwarf-like woman of perhaps seventy years old&rsquo; in her slippers came out to let us in. We made do with a flirty local cat and chats with passing neighbours who said they had &lsquo;never seen the door open&rsquo;.
Walking along the Mile End Road, through Saturday market crowds, we passed the Queen Mary University campus, where a pro-Palestinian protest was under way. Security at the entrance was unusually tight but after explaining our purpose to an Albanian security guard, he was persuaded we had no activist intent. He led us to the 19th century Novo Jewish cemetery (pictured at the top of this article), with &lsquo;its distinctive flat gravestones that represent the equality of all people in death&rsquo;, which lies like an encampment of a very different kind in the midst of the university buildings. This was not a stop mentioned in Austerlitz but our own homage to urban walkers who have gone before including the poet Stephen Watts, who led Sebald on his &lsquo;East End drifts&rsquo;, the writer Iain Sinclair, who retraced Watts&rsquo;s steps, and the film-maker John Rogers, who video-blogged the route.&nbsp;
At some waymarks, we stopped to read passages from the book, speaking aloud Sebald&rsquo;s lines that invoke a palimpsest of the dead and the dispossessed, laid down by the loss, grief and destruction of humanity.
Our final destination was Tower Hamlets cemetery, by which time the May evening sun was breaking through. We meandered through the tumbling gravestones and broken-armed angels, trying to find one that matched a grainy picture in the book.
Of course, as these were Sebald&rsquo;s words we were following, we may have been looking for something that was never there at all. He collected buried histories and miscellaneous photographs, facts and artefacts, and embedded them in his works to confound the fiction/non-fiction categorisers forever.
Caroline Winter-Jones Quotes from W.G. Sebald Austerlitz,&nbsp;Queen Mary University of London (2014) <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/jewish-cemetery-at-mile-end-listed-by-english-heritage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Jewish cemetery at Mile End listed by English Heritage'</a>, and John Rogers, (2020), <a href="https://youtu.be/IpEKUalZg8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;Following WG Sebald&rsquo;s Austerlitz through the East End&rsquo;</a> For more on W.G. Sebald see our <a href="https://stories.uea.ac.uk/wgsebald/index.html?_gl=1*1pcdyc7*_ga*MzMxODg3NDU3LjE3MDk4OTMzMjA.*_ga_67WCHB0WM4*MTcxNzU5OTU0MS4xMDMuMC4xNzE3NTk5NTQxLjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">longform article on his time at UEA</a>. Join us on 12 June to <a href="https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/events/w-g-sebald-shadows-of-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrate the recent publication</a> of &lsquo;Shadows of Reality: A Catalogue of&nbsp;W.G. Sebald&rsquo;s Photographic Materials&rsquo;.

UEA graduate Caroline Winter-Jones shares her alumni story of a recent journey in honour of W.G. Sebald.

UEA graduate visits literary sights in honour of W. G. Sebald

There are some cultural celebrations that go a little more unnoticed in our calendar year. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month is one of those. And yet, each June since 2008, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month comes around trying hard to celebrate and raise awareness of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, helping to tackle prejudice, challenge myths and amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society and their contribution to society.
Whether it is the tragic events of the estimated 250,000 to 500,000&nbsp;Romani and Sinti that were killed in the Holocaust (known in Romani as the Porrajmos) or the more everyday contributions of Romani words into our vocabulary such as &lsquo;wonga&rsquo; and &lsquo;cushty&rsquo;, there is much about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people that are commonly known, and less so celebrated.
There are an estimated 10-12 million Gypsy, Roma and Travellers living in Europe today. These are estimates for many reasons. Many do not register with local authorities. Others do not disclose their ethnic identity for fear of prejudice, discrimination and hate crimes. In the UK, it wasn&rsquo;t until as recently as the 2011 census that Gypsy and Traveller was a category in its own right, and not until 2021 that the category of Roma was included. In other words, if you were a member of these communities, you couldn&rsquo;t even stand up and be counted even if you wanted to. Some estimates put the UK Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population as high as 300,000, although official records vary.
Across Europe and the UK, there are many names for many communities, each different to the next, each proud of their own distinct identity. Irish Travellers are a nomadic group of people from Ireland. Some Travellers of Irish heritage identify as Pavee or Minceir, which are words from the Irish Traveller language, Shelta. Romany Gypsies have been in Britain since at least 1515 after migrating from continental Europe during the Roma migration from India. The term Gypsy is often cited as coming from &lsquo;Egyptian&rsquo;, which is what the dominant population perceived them to be because of their dark complexion. Roma is used as an umbrella label to cover diverse groups, including Roma, Sinti, Kale, Romanichels, Boyash/Rudari, Ashkali, Yenish, Dom, Lom, Rom and Abdal, as well as Traveller populations (gens du voyage, Gypsies, Camminanti, etc.). It is a complicated issue. Usage of the word &lsquo;Roma&rsquo; rather than variants of &lsquo;Gypsy&rsquo; was adopted by many (although not all) as an umbrella term along with their flag, which represents the land, sky and their nomadic histories.
Historically, and for many reasons, Gypsies, Roma and Travellers&rsquo; school attendance in the UK drops significantly after primary level, with only 6 per cent gaining 5 GCSEs or above. And those accessing higher education are even lower, although on the increase. According to Travellers Times, for example, in 2021-2022, the total number of Gypsy and Traveller students starting a degree was 620, compared to 310 in 2020-21.
Here at UEA, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Month has a particular resonance. The ROMLIT project is a pioneering UK project, led by UEA&rsquo;s Dr Spyros Themelis, that focuses on the Early Years education experience of those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, paving the way for inclusive and, crucially, empowering educational practices.
So, let&rsquo;s learn more about Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. Let&rsquo;s tackle the prejudice, challenge the myths and amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society. &nbsp;Let&rsquo;s celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Month this June. And Every June.

Since June 2008, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month comes around to celebrate and raise awareness to tackle prejudice, challenge myths and amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society (Friends, Families and Travellers, 2023).

Celebrating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month

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On Saturday 18 May, UEA&rsquo;s School of Pharmacy hosted a series of talks to mark its 20th anniversary. Over that time, the School has produced more than 1400 graduates, with many going on to work within the healthcare profession across the county and beyond.
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We caught up with some of the School&rsquo;s graduates to hear their stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Sophie White&nbsp;
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Sophie White, who was a speaker at the event and graduated from the School in 2021, works locally in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Sophie is a Specialist Pharmacist for Medicine Management, where she is responsible for the safe handling of medicines, ensures standards are met and helps conduct nursing inductions. When talking about her time at UEA, she said: &ldquo;UEA stood out from other universities when I was looking around, it had such a lovely atmosphere, and everyone was genuinely friendly. It was the reason I stayed in Norwich; it made it feel like home.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Sophie still studies at the University alongside her career, and is enrolled on the Newly Qualified Pharmacist training pathway with Independent Prescribing. She said: &ldquo;UEA was the only university in the country that offered a triple award with this degree, it was really unique.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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In her time as a student, Sophie, with a friend, set up the Inter Professional Education Society and found her confidence in herself, saying: &ldquo;I was scared and anxious to leave home, but I loved my degree and my societies and friends - it was promoted at UEA to give things a try.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW175555189 BCX8">Aditya Aggarwal&nbsp;</h2>
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Aditya Aggarwal, who also spoke at the event, graduated from UEA in 2016 and now works as a Senior Service Manager at Hillingdon Hospital, where he oversees the operational, financial, and performance of services. He said: &ldquo;My time at UEA taught me skills in entrepreneurism, which I have used in my career.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Aditya also volunteers for Clinical AI with the Turing Institute, working on adapting the profession through new means of innovation, which was helped by the things he learned on his degree. Aditya said: &ldquo;I wanted to work with incredible people who inspired me, my degree did that. It took Doctor Desborough saying yes to me one time to spawn my post-university career.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Aditya set up the Alternative Pharmacy Careers Conference while at UEA, which he suggested when he was a student and was given the go-ahead by the university. He&nbsp;said: "It was the first of its kind nationally, and it helped me gain confidence in innovation and in looking for alternative methods of medicine.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW175555189 BCX8">Sam Taylor&nbsp;</h2>
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Sam Taylor, another 2016 graduate, works as a Clinical Pharmacist&nbsp;in a General Practice, as well as a lecturer at UEA, said: &ldquo;The course taught me skills in communication, which I use now in my career, speaking with patients and teaching the next generation of pharmacists.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW175555189 BCX8">Developing future leaders&nbsp;</h2>
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Both Sam and Aditya learned leadership on their course, which they use in the respective careers, Sam in lecturing students, and Aditya in line-managing the individuals under his care. Aditya said: &ldquo;I learnt a lot about myself in leadership, what was good, what wad bad, and what worked.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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When asked about his fondest memory during his student years, Aditya said: &ldquo;I tell people how supportive the team were in UEA School of Pharmacy, how they run with ideas, and genuinely want their students to achieve.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW175555189 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle="ui-provider" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;e51abce0-1369-48b8-981e-f83637838513|24&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[469775450,&quot;ui-provider&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;ui-provider&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}">Sam seemed to think similarly, saying: &ldquo;One of my fondest memories is making a number of new friends within the course, who continue to be good friends and also the great professional support network that the course creates within pharmacy.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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To find out more about the School,&nbsp;visit the <a class="Hyperlink SCXW175555189 BCX8" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/school-of-pharmacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Pharmacy website</a>.
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On Saturday 18 May, UEA’s School of Pharmacy hosted a series of talks to mark its 20th anniversary. Over that time, the School has produced more than 1400 graduates, with many going on to work within the healthcare profession across the county and beyond.

UEA’s School of Pharmacy celebrates two decades of success

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A first-year Creative Writing MA student is currently swimming the width of the English Channel to fundraise for a non-profit dedicated to ending sexual violence.&nbsp;
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Across April and May 2024, Georgia Horsell, a first-year student on the part-time Crime Fiction Creative Writing MA, will be swimming 33km across two months to raise money for This Ends Now: the first protest-lobby non-profit organisation dedicated to exposing patriarchy and ending sexual violence.&nbsp;
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Georgia will be swimming the width of the Channel, which is 33km wide, in a 16m long swimming pool in Tetbury. Aiming to swim 2063 lengths in 61 days, she will be averaging 34 lengths every day across the two months.&nbsp;
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She said: &ldquo;This Ends Now is a non-profit that I volunteer for &ndash; it is entirely volunteer run, and we work hard to change the discourse around male violence against women and girls. Any money you are kind enough to donate to support this challenge will go directly to the organisation.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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At present, <a class="Hyperlink SCXW143817502 BCX8" href="https://donorbox.org/this-ends-now/fundraiser/georgia-horsell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Georgia&rsquo;s fundraiser has raised more than &pound;870</a> of her &pound;1,000 goal.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;On a personal note,&rdquo; Georgia continues, &ldquo;I have never seen a plus size person do a sporting challenge like this on social media. I rarely see content of plus size people at the gym; I know they work out just as I do, but fitness content is dominated by slim people, and I think this supports the fatphobic idea that plus-size people are lazy.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had a back problem since I was 12 years old, which meant I couldn&rsquo;t do much PE at school, and I have genuinely no idea what my limits are. I am constantly surprised by what I can do in the gym because the fatphobic association with weight and laziness is one I have internalised. Society has told me I should not be able to exercise as a plus size person, but I want to prove them wrong, and this 33km swim is one of the ways I will do that.&rdquo;
Georgia also spoke about her shared degree pathway with her father: &ldquo;My dad also studied at UEA, firstly in 1984-87, and then he was actually on the first intake of the MA I am currently studying in Crime Fiction Creative Writing. That means we are the first multi-generational for that degree &ndash; plus, we're both competing to write crime novels!&rdquo;
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A first-year Creative Writing MA student is currently swimming the width of the English Channel to fundraise for a non-profit dedicated to ending sexual violence.

Creative Writing student’s 33km swim for non-profit fundraiser

Jodie Snow and Naomi Rhodes met at UEA and are still firm friends, now living in London. Jodie graduated in 2016 with a BA in English Literature and Naomi left UEA with a BA in Media Studies in 2017. They will both be <a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hackney-half-marathon-for-gboyegas-foundation">running the Hackney Half Marathon</a> on 19 May in memory of their dear friend and UEA grad Gboyega Odubanjo, who sadly passed away last summer.
Jodie has explained why they have felt motivated to run for Gboyega: &ldquo;All my chosen family in London are from the three beautiful years growing up in UEA, and I am very sad that Gboyega is not part of that. In honour of Gboyega's memory and the impact his work has had on the literary world, we're raising money for the foundation that was launched in his name.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/02/family-of-poet-gboyega-odubanjo-launch-fundraiser-to-start-foundation">The Gboyega Odubanjo Foundation&nbsp;is dedicated</a> to upholding Gboyega's vision of empowering and celebrating black excellence, particularly within the realm of literature.&nbsp;The&nbsp;foundation's mission&nbsp;is to provide support and resources to aspiring black writers, helping them overcome the systemic barriers that often hinder their progress in the literary world.&rdquo;
In addition to supporting the Gboyega Odubanjo Foundation, a percentage of the proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to the&nbsp;<a href="https://tmg-uk.org/">Monitoring Group Charity</a>, which provided invaluable support to Gboyega's family and friends during a difficult time, as well as to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/">Missing People UK</a>.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1440x1440/25a2f62560/jodie-naomi-boyega.jpg" border="0" alt="Naomi Rhodes, Jodie Snow, Gboyega Odubanjo during their time at UEA" width="400" height="400"> L-R: Naomi Rhodes, Jodie Snow,&nbsp;Gboyega Odubanjo during their time at UEA.
Naomi added:
&ldquo;UEA was where I discovered myself and my passions and where I found my chosen family. Indeed, Gboyega was my best friend, and we lived together, sharing many great memories and experiences. He was awarded his PhD posthumously from the University of Hertfordshire this February, which I accepted on his behalf. His book, "Adam," will be published this summer by Faber and Faber, so we want to raise as much awareness as possible.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hackney-half-marathon-for-gboyegas-foundation">You can support the campaign on their Crowdfunder page.</a>
Jodie studied BA <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-english-literature">English Literature</a> and Naomi studied <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-media-studies">BA Media Studies</a>.

UEA alumni Jodie Snow and Naomi Rhodes detail why they are running the Hackney Half Marathon in memory of their friend and fellow graduate Gboyega Odubanjo.

UEA Alumni friends to run Hackney Half Marathon in memory of fellow graduate

Jim Chapman graduated from UEA in 2009 with a <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-social-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BSc in Psychosocial Sciences</a>. Today, he is a <a href="https://www.jimchapman.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hugely influential social media star, model, writer and broadcaster</a>, with over 95 million <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfbshD56lsI6cM-TjTVQ-3A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unique YouTube views</a>. 
Jim recently talked to us about being among the first YouTube stars, the importance of discussing mental health, and the dangers of social media. 
How did you get into YouTubing?
I started doing YouTube stuff while I was doing a Master&rsquo;s part time. The numbers on my channel started to increase and, at the same time, I was not particularly happy in my full-time job. I was working in insurance doing data entry to pay for my degree and was travelling to London 2-3 times a week to study.
My creative outlet was social media, and it really took off as I was finishing my first year of my Master&rsquo;s. So, I had to decide: do I continue for the second year, pay the remaining fee - which was a significant amount for me at the time - or do I pursue this new thing I was doing? At the time, I hadn't even met anyone else who was doing it or making any money from it, but I decided to quit the job and my Master&rsquo;s. My mum thought I was bonkers, but I really thought there was something there, and I suppose the rest is history.
For me, it was my creative outlet. To begin with, I only got a few comments, but it was so new and exciting, and it felt like the beginnings of a community. When I look back now it&rsquo;s awkward because some of the stuff I made was shocking, and also I was terrible at getting myself across. But I learned it and I've honed my trade. In the early days I was shy, I talked into my laptop, and now I'm interviewing important, successful, famous people and talking to an audience for a living.
I was having a lot of fun to start off with but didn&rsquo;t know where it would go. And then I met a few others who were in a similar space to me, and they became my community. They were a real support and soon after it started to snowball.
Before too long, I couldn't get on public transport because I'd get swamped by people. I remember one time breaking the High Street in Glasgow because I tweeted, "Hey, I'm in Glasgow. What's good?" because I've never been before, and suddenly thousands of people turned up, and a security guard had to take me through the back of a shopping mall just to stay safe.
How did you get into the insurance job after graduating? 
Well over the years I&rsquo;ve worked everywhere in Norwich. I&rsquo;ve worked in Marsh, Levi&rsquo;s, House of Fraser, French Connection and then, after UEA, I worked selling insurance &ndash; cold calling.
Insurance was the first job that came along and before long I felt stuck there. Lots of people there were thriving &ndash; they were maybe a bit older and were able to switch offer outside of the 9-5. But, for me, I felt stifled and like I wanted to break out. It was a real low point, and my mum was really concerned for me.
I think the year after graduating is a really tough time for many graduates. You go really quickly from being a teenager and craving independence, to learning things you&rsquo;re passionate about and making friends for life, to suddenly being thrown into the world and being expected to have it all planned out. In reality, I think it&rsquo;s not as simple as that for most people.
And how have you approached mental health issues?
My mental health has been an ongoing challenge, and I've improved significantly due to years of therapy and developing a sense of self. Checking in on oneself takes time and effort, and it's not a quick fix. As a student, you're in a fragile state, experiencing newfound independence without clear direction, relying on peers who are in a similar situation. It's an exciting time, but it can also be challenging.
I think there needs to be more focus on mental health at different key stages in life. For me, one of those is children. I have little people, and I've noticed, and research supports it, that very young children are increasingly anxious when they shouldn't be. Something is fundamentally wrong, and we need to address it. We need to look at key times like exam periods for students, but also for students entering early adulthood and facing the mountain of pressure to succeed.
Social media currently promotes a grind culture where you must always work constantly and have a side hustle. It's important to remember that you need to rest and take care of yourself as a human being. The world we live in has become overly complicated and it isn't good for our mental health.
How can university students approach talking about their mental health?
The university experience is exciting but also terrifying. I tended to withdraw and become introspective during tough times. However, I observed others who seemed to combust due to the pressure and challenges. It's crucial to have places where students can go for support. Mental health should be openly discussed, and there's a growing trend of younger generations being more open about it. It's crucial to start having discussions about mental health earlier and normalise seeking help. The earlier it becomes a regular part of life, the better. The scheduling of therapy or support should be as common as planning other activities. It should be a routine part of life, not something seen as particularly brave or unusual. Everyone, regardless of their mental health status, should have someone to talk to for honest support.
It should be straightforward for students to say, "You know what? I'm not gonna come to the meeting&rdquo;, or &ldquo;I'll come meet you after because I've got therapy sessions." We all talk about mental health so much, but sometimes I fear that we talk about it because it's trendy, and it feels a bit like mental health greenwashing.
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Video highlights of Jim's Interview with us
And you&rsquo;re from Norwich, is that right?
My mum lived on Bluebell Road throughout my studies, and I was able to save a fortune while studying by living at home. I did couch surf a lot of the time, though, and I felt like I got the full student experience. London is my home now, but lots of my family are still in Norfolk.
I applied to a few other universities, but UEA was my top choice. It was one of the top places in the country to study psychology, and I had the grades. It just made sense, and financially, it was almost essential.
And how did you become interested in psychology?
I was always good at drawing, and I had imagined for a long while that I was going to study art. But, after a while, I struggled to see a future career in it whereas psychology seemed like a proper science. I had taken it at A-Level and was really good at it. I think I'm naturally an empathetic person, and gaining more knowledge about the brain and how people behave was enthralling to me.
What are some of your favourite campus memories? 
One of the best venues to see bands in is the LCR. It's so small and intimate. I remember seeing Bloc Party here on my own. Just got a ticket, and just rocked up. I used to do that all time even if I didn&rsquo;t know the band that well &ndash; just because the venue is so great.
And how do you balance your profession &ndash; sharing your life &ndash; with having a happy family experience?
If you watch one of my reels, you'll see 15, 30 seconds, a minute of my day. Occasionally I do a full video and that might be 15-30 minutes. But there&rsquo;s a huge portion of my day that you don&rsquo;t see. Also, now that I am a dad and I'm a bit older, there's a lot of my job that I can't show people because it's me sat on my desk writing stuff, which is boring content. It's great for me, I love doing it, but if I'm writing a book or screenplay or something, my audience can't just sit and watch me type.
I&rsquo;ve been doing this for 15 years. My audience know me well, but I don&rsquo;t know them. I'll happily have a conversation with my audience on the street, but they'll talk to me like I'm their friend, and it's lovely, but it is also one-sided because I don&rsquo;t know them.
How do you see the future of social media?
I do have concerns for everybody involved. Consumers are encouraged to spend more and more time scrolling. It&rsquo;s not a coincidence that all apps look the same. Every every time you scroll, you get a little tiny micro dose of the good stuff, and you feel a bit happier. Even if you do a boring task like filling the dishwasher, ultimately, you get a much more positive brain. You throw in a walk or a cuddle or do something productive, and you are a much happier person than if you're just scrolling all the time. But people are hooked because it's so simple.
I can't stop my children from having a phone because they won't be able to communicate with their friends, but there need to be parameters. I think the platforms need to change, and they won&rsquo;t do so until there is legislation.
I also have concerns for the creators. Now, I've been doing this a long time. I've got a good head on my shoulders, lots of therapy, and I don&rsquo;t believe my own hype. I'm not that important. If I were to get hit by a bus on the way out of here, my family would be devastated, but my audience would go and find the next person. These days, if you are straight out of school and you've got a load of followers, you start believing you're the centre of the universe. And then, before you know it, the audience dries up and moves on to someone else. How damaging is it to a young mind to think that they're really important, only to have the rug pulled out from under them?

Jim Chapman, UEA graduate, social media star, model, writer and broadcaster, talks to UEA about being among the first YouTube stars, the importance of discussing mental health, and the dangers of social media.

Jim Chapman, UEA graduate and social media star

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How do you balance the responsibilities of raising a child while embarking on the journey back to higher education?&nbsp;
Becca Mawe is a first-year Occupational Therapy student in HSC at UEA, who hopes to become a local occupational therapist after graduating. She is also a parent to her six-year-old son, meaning she has had to learn how to balance home life and parenthood alongside her studies.&nbsp;
Find out how exactly she manages her time, the challenging and rewarding aspects of being a student parent, and how university has helped her rediscover her social side.
&nbsp;
<h2>Take us through a typical day in your life as a student parent.&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;I normally start off at around 7am because that gives me the best chance to have a bit of time before my son gets up &ndash; I can have a cup of tea and get some organisation done without feeling too stressed for the day. I normally only take my son to school once or twice a week. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I leave home at about 8am to get to campus and commute in with another fellow student parent here on my course. I usually have a full day here until about 4pm, usually a mixture of lectures, seminars and of course a lunch break, before commuting home. &nbsp;
&ldquo;My husband is great at getting dinner ready for me, so when I get back, I have time to spend with him and my son in the evenings. If I&rsquo;m home early enough, I get time to do some extra studies as well.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>How do you balance your studies with home life?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;My top tip for coming to university would be to figure out the method of organisation that works best for you. For me, I found organising my timetable, my son's school dates and any other appointments I had really made a difference. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I do this through an online app that I can link through to my emails, which means I have access to everything all at once and can set reminders for my phone. As I have a busy schedule, this sort of planning helps make sure I don&rsquo;t miss anything important!&nbsp;
&ldquo;By having my time nicely scheduled out, I find I have a clear cut-off point each day to keep my university work from merging into my home life. That ensures I get quality time with my family.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Why did you decide to come to UEA?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;One of the best decisions I&rsquo;ve made is coming here. The University has been really supportive, right from the application process with UEA&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/information-for/mature-students">Mature Student Services</a>, up to studying here now. There's also the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/uea-life/student-support/wellbeing">Wellbeing</a> and <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/uea-life/student-support/learning-enhancement">Learning Enhancement</a> teams when you&rsquo;re here, which is really useful if, like me, you&rsquo;re a bit rusty on your essays. It can help you get up to the standard you need.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think the most intimidating part of coming to university as a mature student can often be not knowing anyone and worrying that you are older. I was quite worried about being older and surrounded by 18-year-olds on my course &ndash; in truth, there are a lot of 18-year-olds on my course, but they&rsquo;re also lovely and I have enjoyed getting to know them. &nbsp;
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s also the <a href="https://www.ueasu.org/opportunities/society/maturestudents/">Mature Student Peer Support Group</a> here. If there aren&rsquo;t a lot of mature students on your course, there's an opportunity through the club to meet other older students as well. So please don't let it put you off if you're a parent!&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>What is most rewarding about balancing your academic pursuits with parenthood?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;I love being a mum, but my return to higher education has given me more on top of that. The most important thing I get to be is a role model for my son. It's nice to show him that it doesn't matter where you are in life: if you change your mind, you can still go on and try a different route.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I've actually found that I'm coping better here at university now as an older adult than I likely would have at 18. I also appreciate being in higher education a lot more.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I used to work at Tesco before this on the customer service desk and I found it really isolating. Being a parent can be isolating at times too, so I really enjoy the social side of university and mixing with lots of people. Now that I&rsquo;m here at UEA, I really do appreciate it. There are a few other mums on my course and that&rsquo;s been lovely, to meet other people in similar circumstances to myself.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>What do you find challenging about being a student parent?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;Definitely time. My course isn't as intense compared to others, but it's just trying to fit it all in. Independent studies, pre-reading, post-reading, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) &ndash; that is probably my biggest struggle.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Sometimes if I find it's piling up, I will take some time out on a Sunday afternoon when my son is watching TV to catch up. I also have to let some of my pre-reading texts go at times; I do still have a quick glance but not as much as I would like to. This is why I find having a set schedule handy, as it helps me to block out specific times for all of this.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Do you have any advice for others considering university while raising a family?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re a parent and undecided about returning to education, I really would recommend it. Just come in, have a look at the university campus, and look at what can be provided for you. Talk to Mature Student Services and see what they say, as well as if they can offer you any advice. In my experience, the people there are really helpful!&nbsp;
&ldquo;If your qualifications aren't up to scratch or they're not what you need, you can always do an <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/information-for/mature-students/entry-requirements">Access to Higher Education</a> course for a year. While it could be intense at times, I found mine was great at helping me prepare for coming to university when I&rsquo;d been out of study for a while.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to do university now, you can wait &ndash; but my advice is to at least investigate and have a look at your options. Coming back to study at UEA has helped me get a part of myself back, so I&rsquo;d say it&rsquo;s definitely worth doing.&rdquo;&nbsp;
</div>

How do you balance the responsibilities of raising a child while embarking on the journey back to higher education? Becca Mawe, a student parent and mum-of-one, reveals all about the challenges and rewards.

Becca’s return to education as a student parent

Living a peaceful life and having access to education are privileges that many of us take for granted. Yet, for countless individuals across the globe, and especially for the people of Afghanistan, these privileges have remained out of reach for decades. Growing up in Afghanistan, I witnessed firsthand inequalities in the society, where girls are often devalued and seen as burdens to their families. Despite these challenges, my mother advocated for women's education and rights, risked her life to ensure that I could attend school and university, becoming the first generation in my family to receive higher education abroad.
My educational journey in New Delhi, India, was transformative beyond my own studies, focusing on empowering Afghan students, especially girls. I engaged in projects to uplift and educate, building management and leadership skills among young Afghan women. This experience broadened my commitment to education, particularly with my involvement in "Inspired By Her," an AIESEC project in Afghanistan focused on women's empowerment through educational training. These initiatives provided platforms for learning and growth, enabling these women to envision and strive for a promising future.
I joined the Ministry of Education, working under the World Bank's EQRA project. The EQRA Project's mission was to enhance equitable access to primary and secondary education, especially for girls in lagging cities and to improve learning conditions across Afghanistan. This was more than a job; it was a personal mission to empower my community through education, especially in light of the societal barriers that women face (Shayan, 2015).
However, after the collapse of Afghanistan's government in August 2021, I found myself in the midst of unthinkable challenges. Surviving life threats and persecution, I had no choice but to flee my country in search of safety and a new beginning. This journey shattered my career and spirit, leaving me with nothing but the determination to rebuild my life. Arriving in the UK, I confronted a reality that was both heart-wrenching and incredibly challenging. Stripped of everything I once knew, I faced the harsh reality of loss and displacement. The pain of losing my homeland, my loved ones scattered across the world, and my career was overwhelming.
Yet, even in the midst of this darkness, I refused to lose hope. I was fortunate to receive a Sanctuary scholarship from the University of East Anglia (UEA) to pursue my Master in Public Policy and Public Management. &nbsp;This opportunity was transformative, helping me rebuild my life and continue my advocacy for education as a tool for empowerment.
Through my studies at UEA, I was involved in The Suitcase and Finding Home in Education projects where I realised the power of storytelling and art-based healing. &nbsp;Therefore, my advocacy now extends to ensuring women have access to higher education through campaigning, mentoring and fundraising.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/7e12754f3b/bahara-suitcase-720x350.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="720" height="350">
Image: Bahara's suitcase from 2023's exhibition The Suitcase, featuring a plant grown in the soil of her homeland
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/8f8add6e74/bahara-s-poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="720" height="350">
Image: Bahara's poster created for the 2024 exhibition Finding Home in Education at UEA
This journey has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education as a tool for empowerment, resilience and change. It is a reminder that access to education should not be a privilege but a fundamental right for all, regardless of gender or refugee status. In the UK, scholarships such as Sanctuary Scholarships play a vital role in offering refugees a pathway to higher education, embodying a commitment to inclusivity and support for those who have been displaced by conflict and persecution.
As I share my story, I call on policymakers, educators, and communities in the UK and beyond to recognise and address the barriers that women and refugees face in accessing education. It is imperative that we work together to create more inclusive policies and programmes that not only facilitate access to education but also ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Here are specific actions you can take to make a difference:
<ul>
<li>&nbsp;Support organisations and campaigns that focus on education for refugees and women</li>
<li>Volunteer as a mentor for students from conflict-affected regions</li>
<li>Advocate for policies that increase access to education for underrepresented groups.</li>
</ul>
 Together, we can build a world where education is a bridge to opportunity, empowerment, and equality for everyone. Let us commit to making this vision a reality, inspiring others to share their stories and advocate for change. In doing so, we can create a future where education serves as a hope and transformation, both for individuals and for societies at large.

Bahara, who studied MA Public Policy and Public Management at UEA as part of the University of Sanctuary initiative, writes about her journey from Afghanistan to the UK and her continuing passion in advocating for education for women and girls.

Empowerment through education: A journey from Afghanistan to the UK

Max Levene broke his neck playing rugby aged 17 and was paralysed resulting in complete tetraplegia. Max went on to study BSc Business Economics and MSc Development Economics at UEA and has been working in the civil service since leaving university.
Max is still involved in rugby and is currently planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September. He aims to raise lots of money for two charities, inspire fellow disabled people, and become the first complete spinal injury tetraplegic in a wheelchair to ascend to the top of the mountain. Max talked to us about his upcoming climb and his experience with UEA.
&nbsp;
Why have you set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? 
In September, I'm aiming to be the first spinal cord injury complete tetraplegic to ascend to the top of the mountain.
I broke my neck playing rugby for my school in Truro, in Cornwall, when I was 17. But, just before that, I was with my parents who were living out in Kenya, and I'd seen Kilimanjaro and set myself the goal of one day climbing the mountain. When I had my injury, I assumed that I&rsquo;d never be able to do anything like that for the rest of my life.
However, last year, I was having a discussion with someone over some beer, and they said, "How about we give it a try?" Since COVID, my partner has been pushing me to do more. She asked, "Why don't you go for it?" and we decided, "Let's give it a crack."
We&rsquo;re raising money for two really excellent charities - the <a href="https://www.rfuipf.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rugby Football Union Injured Players Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.inspire-foundation.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inspire Foundation</a>. The RFU Injured players foundations have supported me fantastically over the years and helped me do my masters at UEA by funding my accommodation. The Inspire foundation conduct spinal injury research and currently working on neurostimulation of the bladder to regain continence through electric stimulation.
I've now got eight people in my team &ndash; ex-school friends &ndash; and, excitingly, sponsors are coming on board. We&rsquo;ve raised near &pound;2000 so far, but we&rsquo;re aiming for a minimum of about &pound;20,000 before we go. You can read more about the fundraising campaign on our <a href="https://gofund.me/8e7386bb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe page</a>, and I&rsquo;d be really grateful for any support from the UEA community.
<iframe class="'tinymce-iframe'" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv69kesF5OA?si=nXXwOscnaqo1gjhr" width="560" height="314"></iframe> Max talks about his preparations for the climb on his YouTube channel.
How are the preparations going?
It looks like we&rsquo;ll be able to get the equipment for the climb so that&rsquo;s fantastic. Now we&rsquo;d like to raise as much money for the charities as possible.
I did Mount Snowdon last year with some mates and that was a very different scale. It was only one day, but I did with the same people who will be going on the Kilimanjaro trip, and it make me think more would be achievable. I also do try and keep fit. I've got a personal trainer now and I&rsquo;ve been working hard.
When I had my accident, I made a promise to my mum that I would never play wheelchair rugby, and I managed to hold that promise for about 8 years. My partner got fed up with me talking about how much I'd love to play and eventually told me to do it, or she&rsquo;d be suffering for the rest of her life listening to me about it. I then played for about a year and a half before telling my mother (after she&rsquo;d had a few glasses of wine). She&rsquo;s forgiven me now. And the rugby is helping to keep me fit!
How did the rugby community support you after your injury?
Oh, the support was amazing and from all over the world. I had various shirts sent to me from lots of different teams. I had messages from professionals all over the world, and lots of people who were just into rugby. I&rsquo;ve become friendly with some rugby communities simply because they'd got in touch at that point. Will Carling even got in touch to support me.  
How did you decide where to study at university?
UEA hadn't really come on my radar to begin with because it's not somewhere that too many people from Cornwall end up. But I had a mate who went to UEA, and he suggested it might be good for me. I went out to visit and fell in love with the place. It instantly became my number one choice. It had good access to a disabled student, I loved the lake, and I just loved just the look of it all. It seemed like a nice mixture of urban and rural environment. I think I made a really good choice.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/640x572/a8be32f68f/max-levene3.jpg" border="0" alt="Max Levene collecting a Student Union award" width="300" height="269">
And then how did you find your time at UEA?
I absolutely loved it. tried to get involved as much as I could. I was the disability Union officer for a year, and I often got involved in Union council. We ran a society for disabilities as well. I stayed for my masters as well because I didn't really want to leave. The social life was really great, and I have many fond memories of the LCR.
And what was the plan for after you graduated? 
I always wanted to do something centred on economics, but I didn't quite know what that would be. I think the period where you&rsquo;ve just left university and you&rsquo;re trying to find work is tough. I applied to lots of places but didn't really get anywhere. And then I had a chat with one of my lecturers and he said, "Have you thought about applying for the civil service and the fast stream?" So, I applied and for it and got onto the fast stream as an economist. I ended up at the Department for Work and Pensions and I&rsquo;ve been there for almost 8 years.
I&rsquo;ve done various interesting roles and I use economics all the time in facilitating policy, so my degree has been very worthwhile. Although it&rsquo;s based in London, I&rsquo;ve spent more and more time working from home and I&rsquo;ve found that the civil service is an accommodating place to work if you&rsquo;ve got extra needs.
You&rsquo;ve been involved with disability organisations at UEA and later on in your fundraising. What drives you?
I want to spread awareness that people with disabilities &ndash; any disabilities - can achieve great things. Yes, people need additional support, and we should have that support, but, with it, we can go on to succeed. When I was first injured, I wondered if I would ever have goals and dreams again, but I started to look up to people like Sir Frank Williams, the F1 owner, who had a similar injury to me. I&rsquo;m inspired by the Paralympics, and I think it&rsquo;s really important to be able to see disabled people doing well I life.
At the same time, we should celebrate the everyday as well &ndash; for some people being able to get out of bed will be a fantastic achievement. &nbsp;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/238x286/a4a6bbd53d/max-levene1.png" border="0" alt="Max Levene graduating" width="300" height="361">
And you also have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thetetratravels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a YouTube channel</a> centred on the disabled experience. Tell us about that.
It&rsquo;s a small channel, but I don&rsquo;t do it for views. It's more that if I meet someone who's newly injured, I can say &ldquo;Hey, look at this. I've done skydiving, I've climbed Snowdon, I've driven a race car, I've done all sorts of things, and the options are out there. You don't have to feel like it's the end of your life. I'm working. I've got a partner.&rdquo;
I love getting feedback. I did a video while on holiday in Greece on accessing Athens as a disabled person. I had comments saying how useful it was and how people could use the tips while travelling themselves. I particularly like receiving comments from newly disabled people who are looking for guidance.
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Max studied <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-business-economics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BSc Business Economics</a> and <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/msc-economics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSc Development Economics</a> at UEA.

Interview with UEA graduate Max Levene about his time at UEA and his aim to become the  first complete spinal injury tetraplegic in a wheelchair to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

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