We would like to recognise and thank all those alumni who have given up their time to the SPP in the academic year of 2021-22 – whether that be through providing one-on-one advice with students, volunteering at events, or sharing their story in an alumni profile. Your support makes a huge difference to the lives of our students, and is a key part of what makes the SPP a challenging and vibrant academic community.
Some of our students share their testimonials below about individual alumni who have helped them this past academic year:
Maya Daver-Massion (current student) – ‘Caroline English (MPA 2019) has been supporting the SPP Womxn's Network as a member of its Advisory Board for 2021 - 2022. She has been incredibly impactful in providing guidance and advice, with a unique perspective as a SPP alumna and founder of the Womxn's Network. Caroline approached every meeting with openness and a strong willingness to support students both in and outside of the Womxn's Network.’
Shrishti Kajaria (current student) – ‘I reached out to a few alumni and found that each one of them were very open and welcoming to chat with me. Everyone was interested in sharing their experiences and warm in offering advice. The process of connecting with alumni was helpful to explore career options and gain insights into what the future might look like at and beyond work.
‘Yohann Sequeira (MPA 2021) was among the first few people I ever spoke to in development consultancy. He was patient in answering my questions about the field and thoughtful in exploring different career options with me. Besides providing insights into the hiring cycle, I found it super helpful to discuss how interests can be discovered and specialisations can be developed while working on certain projects.
‘Caroline Abi Saleh (EMPA 2019) agreed to chat with me even though she had moved on from the organisation I was interested in! What stood out for me was the gender-sensitive career advice. Along with explaining to me different career options, she encouraged me to think about how it shapes other life decisions as well.’
Aaratrika Barman (current student) – ‘I found my conversations with the SPP alumni to be quite eye opening. I had approached a few of them hoping to learn more about how to best use one's time at the SPP and explore/choose career options. The stories, lessons, and advice I got from them were enlightening, but above all encouraging. I think more than anything, amidst all the hustle such engagement is pivotal to keep current students hopeful & calm, help them get a sense of the bigger picture, and prioritize accordingly.’
Sophia Srinivasan (current student) – ‘It was clear from our initial emails that Rareș Pamfil (MPA 2016) and Francesco Alfonso (MPA 2012) really wanted to help, and our conversations were the opposite of perfunctory. They generously took the time to chat with me about their experiences at Vivid Economics and the OECD, respectively, as well as their overall career paths and post-LSE journeys. They asked me about my interests and went above and beyond to provide support in terms of recommending next steps for my career search. Huge thank you to them both, and to Hannah and LSE Careers for making the connection!’
Anonymous Student – ‘My conversations with alumni have been the most helpful conversations I have had so far in my job search in the tech space, and they were extremely generous with their time and experience.’
Reshma Anwar (alumnus) – ‘It was great to connect with Alumni, especially while being a trainee at the European Commission. It made me feel more "at home." Otherwise, I loved speaking about alumni experiences in different organizations and companies and also hearing about their path made me feel more empowered about my process and path.’
Julianna Uranga (alumnus) - ‘I’m so grateful to the LSE Alumni and Supporter Engagement for connecting me with such incredible alumni. Having the opportunity to connect with them as the UK was undergoing lockdown was an incredible opportunity that allowed me to broaden my horizons and figure out what I really wanted to do after my studies. The LSE alumni community is an incredible support system, who truly want to see students succeed.’
Are you interested in volunteering with the School of Public Policy? Just get in touch at spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk if you are interested in finding out more about supporting our community.