How long have you worked at the Uni? What does your role involve?
I have been at Bath for 4 years having moved from London although I have worked in HE careers for over 12 years. I love my job, in particular the variety it offers. Day-to-day, I support our students and graduates in making decisions about their future career and coach them through the application and selection process. I do this through 1:1 meetings and by delivering workshops and webinars.
I also work closely with colleagues in the Faculty of Science, am currently researching why some of our students choose not to do a placement and also investigating how we support students who wish to start their own business.
What would you most like to achieve while at the University?
I was the first in my family to go to University and it was a life-changing experience. I did however struggle with confidence, wasn’t aware of the breadth of opportunities available to me and lacked professional networks. I think this can be a barrier to many students. What I’d like to achieve at Bath is to develop careers provision that not only sets a standard in the sector but crucially supports students from non-traditional backgrounds by making them aware of their strengths and empowers them to consider opportunities they may not have thought of.
Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work at the University of Bath?
The people! Everyone is so committed and there is a common goal to do the best for our students.
What piece of advice would you like to give to a student?
Say YES, especially when you feel you are not ready and seek out a mentor at work. To me, mentors are ‘wisdom keepers’ – a good mentor will challenge, listen and crucially provide reassurance.
Who was your most influential teacher/educator, and why?
My grandmother. She always used to say to me, “if something looks completely impossible, it is probably the thing you should be doing”. This is something that has stayed with me.
What was your first job?
My first job was working in my dad's hardware shop in Tanzania. However, my first 'proper' job in the UK was working in the Royal Mail sorting office. Working night shifts enabled me to pay for University, as international tuition fees are pretty high.
What’s your favourite book or album and why?
Ghaziliat e Hafiz, a little book of poems by Hafez a popular 14th century Iranian poet. Hafez has a way with words, one of my favourite bits from the book is, “the Earth wouldn't be alive if the Sun stopped kissing it”.
If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Noor Innayat Khan, a WWII agent who was executed at Dachau. She was an Indian and a Muslim and yet is barely known in our community. She chose a non-traditional path and had the courage to do something for the country. She defied pressures from her family, and from society, which shows a lot of inner strength.
When are you happiest?
Gardening, it is so satisfying to see something you’ve nurtured grow.
Which one superpower would you like to possess?
Time travel because I would love to see Georgian Bath in all its heyday.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I speak 6 languages (Kiswahili, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Arabic and English). English is the last language I learnt when I was 14.
Tell us your favourite joke
I needed a password eight characters long. So I picked “snow white and the seven dwarves”.