King’s student Fahima shares five ways that the Alumni Office can support you in your studies

My name is Fahima Suleiyman and I just finished my second-year as an undergraduate student, studying Business Management at King’s Business School. Over last summer, I had the pleasure of interning in the Alumni Office, based in the Virginia Woolf Building on Strand Campus, as an Events Assistant.

Here, I share with fellow students what my work entailed, what I learnt from my experience and give you five reasons why you should get involved with the Alumni Office.

Supporting graduation ceremonies

One of my initial tasks included taking on the challenge of managing the Alumni Office’s presence at the summer graduation ceremonies. Thanks to my colleagues I was able to learn a lot about the many benefits available to graduates as well as students from the Alumni Office. I enjoyed being there and sharing those resources with graduates who were very keen to learn about opportunities such as mentoring and connecting with others on King’s Connect, an online networking platform where current students can connect with alumni.

Welcome to King's for new students

From being a part of a celebration where I got to see the graduates end a chapter at King’s, I had the next task of welcoming freshers who were just starting a new chapter. During Welcome Week, I had the opportunity to introduce new students to King’s Connect and the many resources the Alumni Office has to offer. We also ran an Ask Us Anything, online Q&A session on King’s Connect. This gave freshers the chance to ask any questions they had about joining the King’s community and gave alumni and returning students the opportunity to share their advice and experiences.

Alumni reunions

I had the amazing opportunity to support organising different reunions, including the John Fry reunion which is an annual event for Guy’s medical alumni who graduated between 1930 and 1986. I learnt so much about the various aspects of organising a reunion that it made me excited about possibly organising my own reunion sometime in the future!

What I learnt

Overall, working in the Alumni Office allowed me to make valuable connections that otherwise would not have been possible. I received so much advice and was met with so much patience for any questions I had which, as a student, is invaluable. The experience made me so much more comfortable with asking questions, taking the initiative and going out of my comfort zone.

Five reasons I believe every student should get involved with the Alumni Office

1. The Alumni Office is committed to helping students from freshers to long after you graduate.

2. Alumni are fantastic role models and therefore make great mentors through the Leadership Mentoring Programme, for example.

3. There are so many networking opportunities. King’s alumni have similar experiences to you as they were King’s students too, so it’s usually a great place to start building those connections.

4. You can learn about the support and resources the Alumni Office has in place for students even after graduation.

5. Your shared experience with alumni means they are best suited to give you any advice you may have about university life.