Career Development Centre Volunteering Stories 2015/16
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE VOLUNTEERING STORIES 2015/16 1 CONTENTS WELCOME .......................................................................... 4 ABOUT THE GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES .................................... 5 CASE STUDIES GLOBAL IN OUTLOOK AND COMMUNITY ENGAGED ....... 6 JOHANNA LIPPONEN RAGHAD MARDINI SANUSI DRAMMEH SOCIALLY, ETHICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE ... 12 HASSAN HAKEEM HELPING HOMELESS HUMANS (TRIPLE H) RACHEL LANDSBERG LITERATE AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR ...................... 18 HUSSAIN TAWANAEE KIU SUM METTE HYLLESTED AMY BROWN ENTREPRENEURIAL .......................................................... 26 ANIL RAI OMAR MAJID RORY SADLER CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKER .................................... 32 ANDREW SCARBOROUGH COURTNEY STORY ABOUT OUR SERVICES ........................................................ 38 CONTACT US ..................................................................... 42 2 3 WELCOME TO VOLUNTEERING ABOUT THE IN WESTMINSTER GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES It gives me enormous pride to introduce these Helping Homeless Humans (Triple H), At the University of Westminster we want The five Graduate Attributes, along with a short stories to you. Stories of students just like co-founded by Merlvin, Otis, Abby and our students to have a distinctive learning description of some of their key elements, are you who, through volunteering, have made Katlyn, is a university-wide student initiative to experience. To help create this experience, our listed below. Every volunteering opportunity significant contributions not only to their own support the homeless in London, which raised curriculum is shaped around five key ‘Graduate can help you gain many, if not all, of these development but also for the benefit of society over £500 in one evening. Attributes’ – areas of personal and professional attributes. Some volunteering roles will help you and the creation of a better world for us all. development in which Westminster graduates to develop particular strengths in certain areas. The creativity of your fellow students knows will excel. These attributes will support our To help you find out more about volunteering Through our annual volunteering survey, no bounds, and in this booklet you can students to become highly employable, globally opportunities that may focus on attributes which students reported completing more than read about Raghad, who set up and ran an engaged and socially responsible. are of most interest to you, we have included 24,000 hours of combined volunteering time. inspiring event to celebrate Syrian culture details of the main Graduate Attributes gained Such an achievement in itself deserves our through art, music and food, serving an even through volunteering roles in each of our accolades and our thanks, but the personal greater purpose: “It’s the power of life over featured volunteer stories. stories in this booklet highlight what else our death, peace over war,” she explained. students have gained. These students have developed leadership, They have developed the skills and attributes communication, planning and organising that will make them stand out as distinctive skills, not to mention the commitment, tenacity graduates who can demonstrate expertise and vision to bring each project to success. UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER GRADUATES WILL BE: and engagement in their subject area. The All of these remarkable achievements experiences of Kiu, who became President establish a theme of cultural interaction and of Westminster Nutrition Society, and Amy – life-long learning that is more than the sum of GLOBAL IN OUTLOOK AND ENTREPRENEURIAL: who volunteered in a school, supervising a its parts, the results of which will reverberate COMMUNITY ENGAGED: • teamwork, collaboration school trip to one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants across the University, across society, cultures • cross-cultural experience and leadership to teach young people about healthy eating and global communities. • community engaged • self-awareness, self-evaluation, – are perfect examples of that expertise and Read their stories for yourself and discover • valuing diversity self-management engagement. • networked and management what you too can gain from exploring the of digital identities At the University of Westminster we positively thousands of opportunities that exist for SOCIALLY, ETHICALLY AND • active problem solver encourage you to become entrepreneurial in volunteering or using your creativity to lead ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE: your approach to work and life, and there are on a project of your own. • environmental sustainability several cases in these stories where students awareness CRITICAL AND CREATIVE have become founders of societies, including THINKERS: Frances Gow • economic sustainability the Disability Society and Westminster awareness • a critical thinker Entrepreneurial Society. Students have created Employability Manager, Career Development Centre • contributing to sustainable • creative and critical thinking in their own organisations, driven by a need to societies professional and life-long learning help other people. Sanusi set up the Mentor a • a creative thinker Child Foundation, and Rachel founded Project Connect, both of which match young people LITERATE AND EFFECTIVE to role models and mentors. COMMUNICATORS: • communication • numeracy • information literacy • digital literacy 4 5 JOHANNA LIPPONEN COURSE “A creative outlet to European Legal Studies LLB Honours ‘let loose’ is a true stress reliever.” MAIN GRADUATE JOHANNA’S JOURNEY ATTRIBUTES GAINED: For some, university can On top of the legacy Johanna Global in outlook and be a scary place. Lack of would be leaving for the community engaged confidence and the effects of Choral Society, she was able stress were things Johanna to learn a lot from her time was familiar with when as Treasurer of the Musical she moved to London in Theatre Society. She feels 2014. However, she made she has “definitely achieved a conscious effort to change better time-management all that through volunteering. and planning skills” that will Literate and effective Johanna began volunteering be useful throughout her communicators with the Musical Theatre academic and professional Society and the Choral career. Staging shows such as Society, and firmly believes the Rocky Horror Picture Show that “performing arts live for Halloween involved encourage students to be more much more than the actors creative and confident”. In on the stage; working and May 2015, she was elected liaising with different people Socially, ethically and President of the Choral Society including external musical JOURNEY HIGHLIGHT environmentally aware and Treasurer of the Musical directors, the Students’ Union Theatre Society. During her and other societies improved “I have gained numerous new presidency of the Choral her teamworking, negotiating friends and acquaintances through Society, as well as gaining and problem-solving skills. my committee positions, and I leadership, public speaking, have truly learned a lot about organisational and planning Johanna is a brilliant skills, Johanna was able to example of how to use your myself as well as gaining valuable achieve something unique, extracurricular interests to leadership, teamwork, organising, a collaboration with the gain skills that may be planning and time-management University for the Christmas transferable to your future experience during this year.” Carol Service. The result? A personal, academic and University request that this professional growth. Through Johanna Lipponen would become an annual her passion for performing partnership. arts Johanna was able to obtain core graduate attributes that will serve her well after graduation. 6 7 RAGHAD MARDINI COURSE “There is hope.” JOURNEY HIGHLIGHT WHAT OTHERS SAY Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA “I was deeply touched by all the “Celebrate Syria was a truly support that I received from the inspiring event that gave us a University of Westminster, the counter narrative of hope to what Students’ Union and the Career we see daily in the news.” Development Centre during David Shacklady the preparations for my event, Director especially by the compassion Student Affairs MAIN GRADUATE RAGHAD’S JOURNEY and empathy from everyone I ATTRIBUTES GAINED: There is a common belief Celebrate Syria event also have worked with.” Global in outlook and that during their academic served an even greater Raghad Mardini community engaged careers, be it undergraduate purpose: “It’s the power of or postgraduate, it is the life over death, peace over students who gain knowledge war,” explains Raghad. “At from the University. Raghad this event, students were able proves that students can also to engage in Syrian culture impart knowledge through through art, music and food.” their personal experiences. Following your passion, no Entrepreneurial Her belief in the importance of matter the obstacles, can art during times of war led her have a positive impact on to found an art residency in your personal growth as well Lebanon to support emerging as global outlook. Raghad is Syrian artists. On top of sure that it was the success continuing to manage the of her exhibition which gave project while doing her her the strength to follow her Socially, ethically and Masters at the University of dreams in establishing a social environmentally aware Westminster, Raghad also enterprise in London to spread participated at a conference the Syrian culture through at Duke University in January language, art, lectures,