How long have you worked at the Uni? What does your role involve?

I've been here for about three and a half years now. I'm Head of Corporate Partnerships in the Development and Alumni Relations Department. My role involves setting up partnerships with industry that are going to bring a lot of benefit to the whole university. Ultimately my role is about securing philanthropic gifts from those companies – these can be to support everything from scholarships through to research. We do a lot of work with companies on their corporate social responsibility, and on things like diversity and inclusion. But companies give us money to support everything from new buildings through to sports scholarships and student experience across the whole campus.

On a day-to-day basis, I meet with a lot of people who work for companies that want to do more with the University. I ask them what their biggest challenges are, whether it's technology development, or research, or talent attraction, and figure out how the university can solve that problem. I then work with colleagues all across campus to create those solutions.

What would you most like to achieve while at the University?

Well, I am a fundraiser, so I would be really proud leaving here if I'd secured a really transformational gift from a company that was going to have a massive impact on the University, on the community, and the lives of academics or students that are here. So I don't know what that gift might be, it could be something that will enable us to, you know, build an incredible building or set up a brand new research group, or fund a scholarship programme that's going to help a whole new group of students to come and study here. I'm working on the whole lot!

Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work at the University of Bath?

I think for me, the thing that makes me most proud on a regular basis, is the group of scholars here that we support. We have over 1,000 scholars here at the University who are supported by donations from individuals, as well as companies. They are all students who, for many various reasons, have overcome challenges to be here at the University of Bath. I am really lucky in my job that I get to meet these students, to spend time with them, to go to events with them, and to take them with me to meet companies as ambassadors. Honestly, every single time I work with them, they are so impressive. I can't imagine being like those scholars when I was 18 or 19. They are just amazing.

What piece of advice would you like to give to a student?

The advice I'd give would be to really utilize the networks that you have while you’re here. Obviously you're going to make incredible friends, you're going to build up links with academics, but I think a really amazing thing that you've got while you're here at the University is a network of 120,000 alumni who are here to help you with your career development. I certainly didn't make the most of that when I was at university. In the Development and Alumni Relations Department we run events like Get Connected, but we also have the Bath Connection online tool where you can find mentors to help you with specific questions.

But there's so many other ways that you can access the support of alumni and friends during your time here. You can get grants for your societies or to develop new ideas from the Alumni Fund, you can get an Innovation Award if you want to try setting up a business. It's just the time of your life where you can try so many things, and actually, we've got a whole network of people here who want to help you do that. So make the most of it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

This is going to sound really cheesy, but I promise it is true! When I was a kid, I don't remember wanting to do a particular job, all I wanted to do was go to university. So I did - and then I did what a lot of 21 year old history students did, which is not really know what to do afterwards! While I was at university I was a telethon caller for their Alumni Fund, which I just did in my final year to earn money. Now looking back on it, it's given me so many of the skills I’ve needed to use in my career: relationship building, customer service, not being afraid to pick up the phone and talk to people. By a circuitous route, through nothing to do with being a telethon caller - I went away traveling the world then did a masters - I ended up being a corporate fundraiser. And when I found out you could do the job that I love, in a university, where I’ve wanted to work forever, I was like “Oh, my god!” I can do all the things I’ve always wanted to do! I guess I've kind of fulfilled my childhood dream because now I do go to university every day.

What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

I wish I'd known that it was okay to just be okay. That you don't need to be perfect, that you can try things and you can fail at them and it doesn't matter. And you can make mistakes, and it doesn't matter. I definitely don't regret things, but I think there are opportunities that I didn't make the most of because I was afraid I wasn't going to be perfect at them, and actually trying is what counts and the journey you go on when you do, rather than the outcome.

What was your first job?

I worked in the fashion department of a department store in Kingston upon Thames called Bentalls, so on the shop floor in retail. And again, it was one of those jobs where I still now use the skills I learned, all the customer service experience and thing. You have to have so much patience when you deal with the general public every day. But really, I got a discount on trendy clothes and all my mates worked there. So it was pretty fun!

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

I'm going to have to say Colombia. It's just the most incredible country, it's just so massive and it's so varied. You've got everything from the Amazon jungle to the Páramo, the cloud forest, and mountain ranges with wildlife you don't get anywhere else in the world. And then you've got Caribbean beaches and friendly people. It's just amazing. I've been lucky enough to spend quite a lot of time there over the last 10 years, I've had friends that have lived there and it's such a friendly, incredible place. And, I guess, quite different than maybe what people would think it is. So yeah, I would say if anyone wants an adventure, go to Colombia.

What’s your favourite book or album and why?

I play Desert Island Discs in my head all the time, because reading and music are two things I couldn’t live without. If I could only ever read one book again, it would be A Secret History by Donna Tartt. Interestingly, it's about students at university. It's a really interesting, in-depth character assessment, a murder mystery, a really dark Greek tragedy but set in modern, wealthy America. I first read it when I was about 15 and I literally picked up to read it again two days ago. I've read it throughout my life. It's amazing.

For the album, again, this was such a struggle. It would either be Bob Marley’s Legend because, not only is it one of the best pieces of music ever made, I love the fact that you hear it all over the world. It has so many memories for everyone, and it still makes me cry. Or Paul Simon’s Graceland would be other one. I grew up listening to it with my Dad. I listen to it now still, so regularly.

When are you happiest?

I've most recently felt the happiest I've been in ages - last week on a beach in Mexico!

I was on my own. I was thousands of miles away from everyone, and everything. I was eating fish tacos, drinking margaritas and watching the sunset on a beach. My phone was broken and no one knew where I was in the whole world, and it was absolutely amazing.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?

It would be Bob Marley. I think he's the most incredible man, the most incredible musician. I think about what the world would be like if he was still alive, if he hadn't died so young. You don't get people like that very often in this world. I think he would have inspired some real change, or at least inspired some changes to happen more quickly than they did. I think his messages in his music and the things that he wanted to tell people were just so important.

Which one superpower would you like to possess?

This is one for the Harry Potter fans out there! I would love to be able to apparate. I think about it almost every day, whether it's so I don’t have to sit in traffic driving to work, or whether it's so I could be on a beach in Mexico. I would just love to be able to just be somewhere else almost instantly and then be able to come back again just as quickly!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I performed on stage at the Royal Opera House as part of the National Youth Ballet when I was younger. I played the Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland and had a solo choreographed for me by Wayne Sleep.

I still have a love of dance - I still dance and am passionate about going to watch dance. I'm really excited actually because we're giving an honorary degree to the only Colombian ballet dancer and soloist with the Royal Ballet, Fernando Montaño, this summer. He's actually been to Bath a couple of times already and he's such a lovely man, his story is so inspiring and it’s incredibly exciting that he's going to be part of our alumni community.

Tell us your favourite joke

I actually made up my first joke the other day, I never made up a joke before so I'm going to tell you that. I'm actually pretty proud of it!

What lettuce would a Brexiteer refuse to eat?

Romaine!