International Student Ambassador stories - Mishal
Mishal, a Social Development MA student, talks about her work as an International Student Ambassador and how her time at Sussex helped her secure a job with the United Nations University in Germany.
I describe my time at Sussex as the Shangri-La of my academic journey. The place helped me personally and professionally and I am as content as a student can be!
I now work as the Research Assistant at the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). I'm involved in a project called ‘Protecting the Wellbeing of Migrants in India during the COVID-19 pandemic’ (PROWELLMIGRANTS), run in collaboration with the University of Sussex and the University of Copenhagen and funded by the German Research Foundation.
While working on my dissertation, I was introduced to PROWELLMIGRANTS by my supervisor Dr Geert De Neve. To get a job where I could build on my current research was more than I could ask for. But thanks to the guidance and learning Sussex gave me, I was able to secure the job and start working while working on my final submission.
I will forever be grateful to Sussex for not only providing me with the opportunity but also for the training I received that equipped me to take upon this responsibility.
Along with this, I am a core team member of two initiatives in India - 'Let's Reach Out Kerala' and 'Compassionate Responses'. The former works for providing psycho-socio support to inter-state migrants in Kerala and the latter works for improving lives and livelihood of people. Both work in collaboration with the National Health Mission in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Thanks to the guidance and learning Sussex gave me, I was able to secure the job and start working while working on my final submission.”
Studying in Sussex as an international student enriched my life. The diversity the campus offers demands to be celebrated. As a development student, this ensured learning from different perspectives, voices, understanding and experiences of development from across the globe. These are the main takeaways from my course.
Adding to all these was my experience as an International Student Ambassador. I got to talk to many prospective students through various platforms, including call campaigns, Unibuddy, Instagram live, Calendly one-to-one sessions and more.
It was an honour to represent the School of Global Studies during the Development Studies Week and to be speak in two events hosted by IDP India. It was more than a part-time job as I was able to give back to the University for the support I received from previous international student ambassadors while I was planning to come to Sussex.
The best part was whenever a student shares how valuable my inputs were in helping them make a decision to come to the UK and Sussex. The team at the International Office was very supportive and ensured a healthy working atmosphere. I was able to improve my communication, organising and time management skills, expand my network and build on my confidence.
Sussex showed me how big I can dream, how comprehensive I can envision my life and provided resources to prepare me for the same!