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For Alumni, By Alumni

Showcase your project, passions, and skills.

‘For Alumni, By Alumni’ is our blog series shining a spotlight on the stories you want to tell your peers. Perhaps you’re involved in an amazing community project or your work is innovating and solving problems?

We’re looking for alumni contributors who want to share their passions and showcase their skills. Become a ‘For Alumni, By Alumni’ writer and pitch your idea. We share all articles in our monthly alumni e-newsletter, going to over 120,000 alumni.

Pick a subject that’s close to your heart or area of expertise. There’s no set theme, but we’re looking for topics that will inspire, engage, and spark curiosity in your fellow alumni.

Submit your idea

For Alumni, By Alumni stories

Campaigning for excellence not empire – For Alumni, By Alumni

Campaigning for excellence not empire – For Alumni, By Alumni

20 April 2023

Simon Blake OBE (BA 1995) has spent the last thirty years working for organisations that tackle social justice, equality and stigma. He is now spearheading a campaign to break the link between the UK Honours system and Britain’s legacy of colonialism, to make it more inclusive.

What the Eisteddfod and the Welsh language mean to me – For Alumni, By Alumni

What the Eisteddfod and the Welsh language mean to me – For Alumni, By Alumni

14 March 2023

Dr Matt Jones (MA 2017) moved to Cardiff from Connecticut with a desire to immerse himself in Welsh culture and the Welsh language. During the 2018 National Eisteddfod held in Cardiff Bay, he was able to truly engage with this culture and see the language in full flow.

Lifting, talking and standing tall – For Alumni, By Alumni

Lifting, talking and standing tall – For Alumni, By Alumni

23 February 2023

Mental health professional Paul Regan (BN 2016) wanted to find a way to help men open up about their mental health. After teaming up with friend and fellow alum Charles Needham (BSc 2008), together they developed Stand Tall, a non-profit bringing free exercise and mental health seminars to their local community.

Completing my PgDip whilst living with Endometriosis – For Alumni, By Alumni

Completing my PgDip whilst living with Endometriosis – For Alumni, By Alumni

12 September 2022

Nickie Broadbent (PgDip 2022) is a Neonatal Medicine graduate who was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2014. She shares her experience of completing her degree during the pandemic whilst managing her condition, the benefits of remote learning, and her advice to others who may be experiencing Endometriosis.

From surgeon to tech CEO: why I pivoted my career to help save the NHS – For Alumni, By Alumni

From surgeon to tech CEO: why I pivoted my career to help save the NHS – For Alumni, By Alumni

20 April 2022

Dr Owain Rhys Hughes (MBBCh 2005) is an ENT surgeon and successful healthtech entrepreneur, whose initiative Cinapsis is helping tackle the current NHS backlog crisis and reduce burnout across the healthcare workforce. He shares his experience of pivoting a career, the importance of collaboration and how making real change is possible.

How we can eat our way to a healthier planet – For Alumni, By Alumni

How we can eat our way to a healthier planet – For Alumni, By Alumni

15 March 2022

Steve Garret (MSc 2009) is the Founder of Riverside Real Food, weekly food markets that promote fresh, sustainable and local food. Steve is a passionate food activist and an award-winning social entrepreneur. Here, he explains why it’s important to eat locally and the benefits of shopping at local farmers’ markets.    

Let’s talk about global polarisation: For Alumni, By Alumni

Let’s talk about global polarisation: For Alumni, By Alumni

15 February 2022

Alexandra Chesterfield (BA 2003 and PGDip 2004) applies behavioural science to her work, to improve outcomes for individuals, organisations and societies. She works as the Head of Behavioural Risk at a successful bank and teaches as a guest lecturer at Jesus College Cambridge. Alexandra’s new podcast, Changed My Mind, and her book, Poles Apart, both examine and address the increasing polarisation occurring across the globe. Here she explains why this is such an important topic, and why now more than ever, is the time to talk about it.

From midwife to radio presenter – For Alumni, By Alumni

From midwife to radio presenter – For Alumni, By Alumni

24 January 2022

Lizzie Romain (BMid 2014) is a midwife at a private maternity hospital in London, but she’s always battled to balance her midwifery career with her more creative side. Just before lockdown in March 2020, she joined her local community radio station in West London and is taking the leap in 2022 and transitioning into a full-time career in broadcast.

Inspiring the next generation of scientists – For Alumni, By Alumni

Inspiring the next generation of scientists – For Alumni, By Alumni

23 November 2021

Wendy Sadler MBE (BSc 1994) is the founding Director of science made simple – an award-winning social enterprise that offers science shows to schools and families to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Currently Senior Lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy, throughout the pandemic, Wendy has been working on a project called ‘Our Space Our Future’ which aims to increase the number of young people choosing careers in the space industry.

The value of a degree in humanities – For Alumni, By Alumni

The value of a degree in humanities – For Alumni, By Alumni

20 October 2021

Tim Edwards (BA 2005, MA 2007) is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at QS Quacquarelli Symonds, but his career path was far from pre-determined and he had no idea what he wanted to do when he first stepped onto campus as a religion and theology student. He explains how studying a humanities degree opened him up to a wealth of new experiences, a successful career, and life-long confidence in the skills he learned at Cardiff University.